How It's Gotta Be
by aspire2write
Summary: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy contest O/S. Emmett and Bella are workin their daddy's ranch. Livin in the middle of nowhere, they think there's no chance of love. Such is life. Then one day Emmett helps some people broken down on the side of the road.
1. How It's Gotta Be

**Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy Contest**

**"Break out the denim, boots and cowboy hats, turn up the country music cause we're goin' country y'all!"**

**Pairing: Emmett/Rosalie**

**POV: Emmett**

**Rating – not needed, if you're not of age to buy porn, then you shouldn't be reading it no less writing it.**

**This one-shot is being posted in participation with the above mentioned contest hosted by bemylullaby,ImWithTheVampires08 , mischief-maker1 , miztrezboo, Nostalgicmiss, TwilightMom and our admin assistant Mimi here at the FournikationFoundation. Please see any of the aforementioned author's profiles for complete contest information, or see the C2 community 'Fournication Station Contests'.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**How It's Gotta Be**_

I tossed the last bag of fertilizer into the bed of the fifteen-year-old Ford F-250. I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. The heat was sweltering today at 98° F. It was the end of May and already feelin' like mid-July. Tossing twenty 50-lb. bags into the truck didn't help either. I walked back in to Walter's Tack and Feed to get Bella's new training draw bit, rope reins, and cinch. She spent twenty minutes the day before explaining why she needed it. She thought I would argue with her about the money. She should know by now I'd never deny her anything.

Barrel racing was her passion since she was old enough to straddle the horse. When mom left us, dad took to the saddle longer and longer each day. Bella, being only three-years-old, couldn't completely comprehend what was happenin'. She thought dad was leavin' too. One day when dad was getting on Moonlight, his favorite Colorado Ranger, to check the perimeter she started bawling. She told him she needed a daddy if she couldn't have a mommy. Even at ten-years-old, I could tell how much that hurt dad.

He mounted Moonlight and had me lift Bella to him. He said he'd be back in an hour after he showed Bella where he went every day. He wanted her to see that he wasn't leavin' us; he was workin' the ranch. _This is how it's gotta be._ She loved running with him. Anytime I went ridin' after that, she insisted I take her and made me run. Once she was old enough to ride on her own, dad bought her first horse, Maybelle. She rode every day from then on out. When we went to the rodeo the following year, she fell in love with barrel racing. She'd been doin' it ever since.

Dad got so much joy outta watching her ride. She was so graceful on horseback, such a difference from on ground. She spent hours a day trainin' and practicin'. Dad made sure she had everything she needed. He supported her in every way he could. She got real good real quick. We traveled all over Texas for her to compete. When dad died two years ago, she stopped riding all together. It took me months to convince her to get back in the saddle. He wouldn't want her to give up her dream.

"Is Miss Bella competin' anytime soon?" Walter asked as he bagged her equipment.

"Sure is," I answered with a huge smile. "She's got a slot in the NBHA State Championship in two weeks."

"Hot damn." His smile was wide and the pride in his eyes evident. "Our little girl sure is growin' up." He always had a soft spot for Bella. "Nancy!" He yelled for his wife in the back. She came up front wiping her hands on a shop rag. Walter was damn lucky. At 55, Nancy didn't look a day over 40. Walter had to beat the men off in town with a cane. Well, he would have if Nancy didn't do it first. She was a spitfire.

"What're ya bellowin' about?" she asked before her eyes landed on me. "Hey there, Emmett. How ya doin', sugar?"

"I'm wonderful, Miss Nancy," I answered and pulled her across the counter for a hug. "I'd be much better if I had me some of your tasty divinity." I kissed her cheek before straighten up. She blushed and giggled as she patted my on the cheek. They never had kids so she always treated me and Bella like her own.

"I might be able to arrange that next time you're in. When you gonna be here next?"

"Next week. I'm sure I'll be pickin' some stuff up before we head to Katy."

"Oh! What's in Katy?"

"Miss Bella's gonna ride in the state championship," Walter said excitedly. I covered my ears when she squealed as she hopped around in place.

"Charlie would have been so proud." I nodded my agreement.

"I think he is," I answered honestly as a clap of thunder sounded.

"Well, you better be gettin' home, son," Walter said as he handed me the bag and patted my back. "The storm's a comin'."

I thanked them as they told me to wish Bella luck. I went out to the truck and pulled the tarp out of the toolbox. I didn't wanna chance getting the fertilizer wet if it started to rain. Once everything was secure, I took off for the seventy-mile drive home. The trips to Ft. Stockton always took up most of the day, and I hated to leave Bella tethered with the day's chores. There were a lot to do between the two of us, and makin' her shoulder it all wasn't right, but _this is how it's gotta be._

The ride was long and lonely. We didn't have many radio stations that came in this far south, and with the truck bein' so old, I couldn't play my CDs or hook up an iPod. Maybe when I sold these next twenty head of cattle, we could afford to put in a decent stereo. I started making a mental list of things we would need when we headed to Katy the followin' week. I was about twenty miles from home when I spotted a shiny new car parked on the shoulder with the emergency flashers on. A man and little girl stood by the passenger door while two men were hunched over the hood.

I pulled the truck over about twenty yards ahead of the vehicle and turned off the ignition. I glanced in the rearview mirror and was met with a surprise. The two _men _under the hood was one man and one woman, and _damn_ was she a beauty. Long blonde hair was swept to one shoulder. Her mile-long legs were clad in not-too-tight but just-perfect jeans.

Her ass was on display, and I was enjoying the view. It caused a tightenin' in my pants. It'd been a good thirteen months since I'd knocked boots, and I was feelin' it. We were seventy miles from the closest town, so we didn't get to meet people too often. I shook my head to clear it so I could get out before they thought I was a creepy murderer.

I stepped out of the truck and discreetly adjusted myself before I turned around. The man at the passenger door with strange penny-colored hair pulled the spiky black-haired girl behind him a bit. I wasn't offended. If it were Bella and me, I'd be sure to put her behind me too. The girl seemed to be bouncing in excitement though. It was quite a sight. The man bent over the car stood up and looked at me his curly blonde hair falling in his eyes. The blonde bombshell stood up and eyed me appreciatively. _Look all ya want, gorgeous._ I smiled at her, and he pulled her slightly behind him. She smacked his arm, which caused him turn around and hiss something at her I couldn't hear. I walked up to the group slowly.

"Howdy folks," I said as I tipped my straw cowboy hat at them. "I'm Emmett Swan." I stuck my hand out to shake with the blonde man. He took my hand hesitantly.

"Jasper," he offered only his first name. _Smart man._ I smiled my 'boyishly friendly' grin as Bella called it. She said I could never smile like that and seem threatening. "This is Rose, Edward, and Alice." He pointed to each of the others.

"Pleasure." I looked at each of them. That's when I noticed the girl I saw earlier was not a girl. She was just a small woman. "Is there anything I could help ya with?"

"Not unless you have the tools to fix a fuel injector," the blonde, Rose, said. I raised an eyebrow. _This luscious beauty speaks car?_

"I don't got it with me, but I probably got it back at the house. We're about twenty miles from my home. I wouldn't mind y'all borrowin' what ya need." The men looked at each other and looked to have a silent conversation.

"We can just call a tow service and take it to a shop. Thanks for the offer though," Edward said. The little pixie was tugging at his arm trying to tell him something.

"There's no cell service for miles and you're fifty miles from town. I know this is unconventional and you got no reason to trust me, but I promise my intentions are pure. I only want to help."

"He's telling the truth," Alice said. "We can trust him." They all looked at her questioningly. Rain started to fall lightly as the clouds covered the sun.

"Listen, there's a real bad storm rollin' in. It's just me and my sister so we got room for y'all to stay. I'd drive you back to town, but we won't beat the storm. I won't be able to make it back tonight, and I ain't leavin' my sister alone." They seemed to think it over.

"You'll bring us back in the morning?" Edward asked hesitantly.

"Or we could haul the car back so you can work on it in the garage and be on your way quick. I'd haul it with us tonight, but I ain't got the hook ups."

"We appreciate it. Really, we do," Rose said. "We can't thank you enough for the offer. Sleeping in the car is not appealing in the least." She stepped forward and held out her hand. "Rosalie Hale, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Emmett." I took her hand and pulled it to my lips to kiss softly. Jasper took a step forward in caution. I released her hand and stood up straight.

"Why don't y'all grab your bags so we can load up? The rain's gonna pick up pretty soon."

They popped the trunk and removed four bags. I suggested they take out any valuables just in case. I went back to the truck to rearrange things in the backseat. This was the first trip to town in two weeks so I had tack, feed, and groceries. It took up a lot of room. I piled everything behind the driver's seat before turning back to the group. I pulled the tarp back from the bed of the truck.

"It's been a while since one of us has been to town so the truck's a little overloaded," I said as I scratched my neck. "We'll put your bags in the bed with the fertilizer. The tarp will keep it dry till we get to the house." They piled everything in, and I tied the tarp back down. "I got groceries and tack in the back so it'll have to be two in front with me and two in the back."

They all walked to the passenger side. I slid in behind the wheel while Jasper and Edward got in front leavin' the women to the back. I pulled back onto 385 and headed for home. The first ten minutes of the ride was tense and silent. I couldn't blame them for bein' nervous. This was probably scary. Alice was the first one to break the silence and for that, I was thankful.

"So Emmett, you have a sister?" she asked. I smiled thinkin' about my Bella.

"Sure do," I said with a grin. "She's my baby sister. You'll like her. She's sarcastic, witty, and really sweet. She's so smart and caring. She started takin' care of dad and me when our mom left. I don't know what I would have done, what we would have done without her." I wouldn't have made it through that first year without dad if it weren't for her.

"You two don't live with your dad anymore?" Jasper asked. I felt the familiar pang in my chest.

"No. Dad died a couple years ago. It's just us now." I was racin' the rain and hoped I could get home to have everything unloaded before it reached us.

"I'm sorry." _Me too. _I smiled over at him even if looked a little sad.

"No worries. It's been a bit. It's getting easier."

"What's her name?" Rosalie asked.

"Isabella, but she prefers Bella. You folks related?" I needed to know if hot stuff was attached to one of them.

"Yes," Edward answered. "Alice and I are twins. Jasper and Rosalie too. We all grew up together."

"Jasper and I are together," Alice said with a dreamy smile.

"Where y'all from?"

"We just recently moved to Dallas."

"What brings ya all the way down here? It's sorta in the middle of nowhere."

"We're going to Big Bend National Park for a hiking trip," Jasper answered.

"Beautiful place, great trails," I assured them. Bella and I had been a few times with dad.

I slowed down and turned off the highway to the driveway. I slowed the truck to a stop so I could get out and unlatch the gate. I got back in and drove over the cattle guard. I parked again so I could close the gate. When I walked back, I could see the women starin' out the back window at the overhead arch. The symbol was cut out of metal and welded onto the middle. Dad and I had made it and put it up when I was seven. I had been very proud of it.

"Circle T?" Rose asked.

"Yep. Welcome to my home, The Circle T Ranch," I said proudly.

"Ranch?" _Where are they from? Don't they know what a ranch is?_

"Yep. I lived here until I went off the college then moved back when dad passed away. The house is about two miles up." I started back up and headed to the house. I was already an hour later than I told Bella I'd be. She'd probably be worried…or pissed more likely.

"How big is this place?" Alice asked.

"We've got 983 acres. We're a cattle ranch mainly, but Bella likes horses so we got a few of those. She's also got an assortment of farm animals. She sees 'em more as pets though."

We finally came in view of the house, stables, barn, chicken house, and garage. I glanced at the visitors and saw their jaws drop open. They sounded like city folk when I first met 'em. Also, the fact they were wearing loafers and high heels gave them away. This look only confirmed it. We had small livin' quarters compared to other ranches this size. I pulled the truck to the back of the stable where I knew Bella would be fillin' the grain bins and waterin' buckets. Instead, she was on top of the flat bed unloadin' hay bales to the hayloft. I killed the truck and stepped out motionin' for the others to follow. I told 'em to leave the doors open since I needed to unload everything.

"Emmett Dean Swan," Bella said in a harsh tone I knew too well. _Yep. Definitely pissed._ "You better get your ass in gear. That storm's a comin', and I ain't gonna be the one stuck out here in it cause you dillydallied around in town. You must have been movin' as slow as molasses in January. I sent the boys home early to beat the storm.

"I stabled Southern, Maverick, and July Heat, gathered the eggs, fed the chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs, and one of your cows got tangled in the barbed wire so I had to cut her free then mend the line. You owe me, and damn it, I told you not to bale at 90 lbs. I can handle the 70s just fine. That extra twenty pounds adds about an hour of work."

She said everything without turnin' to address me directly. That told me how upset she was. She continued to toss the bales under cover so she could carry 'em up the ladder without hurryin' to get 'em out of the rain later. I could tell she had a long, tiring day. She was wearin' her oldest pair of jeans with holes in the back pockets and one of my white wife beaters. The jeans were covered in dirt, and I could see pricks from where the barbed wire had caught. The shirt was dirty too and covered in sweat. She had worked hard.

"I know," I answered. "I got caught up helpin' some people, or I would have been home sooner. I'm sorry I worried ya."

"Oh, please. I wasn't worried. I was too busy doin' your work to worry." She never liked to admit to bein' weak, and she considered worryin' weak. "And ya ain't got to make up excuses. I got it all done." I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off.

"He really was helping someone," Rosalie defended me.

The voice of someone other than me startled Bella. We didn't ever have unannounced visitors so I wasn't surprised. She spun around quickly, a little too quickly. _This won't end well._ I watched as her foot caught on the edge of a hay bale, which made her lose her balance. Her arms flailed in an attempt to get steady but didn't. She was standing at the edge of the platform and started to fall backwards. There was no way I'd get there in time to stop her. I watched as she luckily fell onto a couple hay bales. She wouldn't be hurt, just embarrassed.

"Umpf!" she huffed as she hit the bales. She scrambled to her feet and dusted her ass off. "I'm sorry. I didn't know we were havin' company." Her face was red with embarrassment as she walked forward to greet the group.

"Everyone, this is my baby sister, Bella," I said as I pulled her under my arm. "Bella, this is Rosalie and Jasper Hale and Edward and Alice." She shook everyone's hand. "They broke down about twenty miles up the way. I offered to let 'em stay here for the night while the storm passes. Hope that's alright."

"Of course. Wouldn't want you caught in what's comin'. Supposed to be a doosy. I'm Bella as he said." She elbowed me in the ribs causing me to let go of her to cradle the now tender spot. She knew how to hurt a man. I made sure to teach her. "I'm the big oaf's sister but not so much a baby.

"I wish we could talk more right now, but the storm'll be her shortly. Let me show you to the house, and we'll finish up out here while y'all settle in. Sound like a plan?" They all nodded.

"They're bags are under the tarp and groceries are in the backseat, I'll finish unloadin' the hay while you're inside. I've got twenty bags of fertilizer that'll need to be stored before long too." She nodded as she walked to the truck and untied the tarp.

"I'll be out in a minute. Get goin'." I saluted her.

"Yes, ma'am." She rolled her eyes and headed for the house once they had the bags.

I watched as Rose sashayed to the house and glanced back to smile at me. God, that woman was a goddess. She was tall, thin, but curvy. Her face was one of an angel, but that smile told me she had a bit of a devil inside. We could have a good time, I knew. With her brother around though, the chances would be slim to none. _Too bad._

I hopped onto the flatbed and pulled on a pair of gloves tucked into the side box. I tossed the bales down quickly as the rain had finally reached us. We'd be rushin' to get all twenty bags under cover before it started pourin'. Bella really had done a lot while I was gone. I only had to toss about eight bales to finish up. I put the gloves back up and backed the truck into the garage. When I came back, I backed the F-250 to the barn.

I pulled the tarp off and folded it before puttin' it back in the toolbox. I let down the tailgate, grabbed a bag, hoisted one over each shoulder, and walked into the barn dropping the bag on the left palate. I made three trips before Bella came out to help. She picked up a bag and followed me in droppin' it in place. We made four more circuits before she spoke up.

"They seem like nice people," she said nonchalantly. "City people but nice."

"They seemed to be on the way here," I answered. "Where'd you put 'em?"

"Alice and Jasper are in the guest room, Rosalie's in mine, and Edward's in the living room."

"What about you?"

"I'll sleep on the couch in the office," she said with a shrug. She always put herself last.

"Thank you for bein' okay with this." She swatted her hand in my direction.

"I wouldn't want to see 'em on the side of the road with this storm. It's been brewin' for a while and ain't gonna be pretty. I heard they're even callin' for floodin'. I sandbagged the stable, garage, and storm cellar just to be sure."

"I saw." I noticed the five-bag high barrier when backing the flatbed into the garage. Bella was always the prepared one. I leaned over and kissed her temple. "What would I do without you?"

"Good lord, let's not even think about it. I doubt you'd make it long." Just at that moment, my stomach decided to grumble. I hadn't eaten since I left for town and that was six hours ago. Bella laughed. "Who would cook?" I bellowed in laughter, because I knew she was right.

"I love ya, sis."

"Love you too, Emmy."

We finished unloadin' the bags just as the rain picked up. Fat drops were splattering the ground as I pulled the truck into the garage and sandbagged the bay door before goin' back to the stables to help with the hay bales. Edward and Jasper came runnin' out as I made my way up the ladder. They said everything was settled and wanted to help so we could get done quicker. The stable was Bella's domain, and I didn't attempt to take over. She had things her way, and I wasn't going to argue.

"You boys ever work horses before?" she asked 'em as she dusted off her hands. They both shook their heads no. "Well, I still gotta water and feed 'em. I don't think you can mess that up." I smiled recognizing her reluctance to let 'em help. She showed Jasper the water hose and where to fill the bucket to. Then she took Edward to the feed stall and showed him how much to give each horse. When they disappeared behind the high wall, I frowned. _You better not try anything, buddy._ I thought. They came back out each with a bucket in hand putting me at ease. "By the time you finish that up, we should probably be done."

Thirty minutes later we were all done. The rain was pelting the ground at that point so we ran for the house. It wouldn't have mattered if we walked. We were still soaked through when we reached the porch. I sat on the swing, pulled my boots off, and hung them on the dryin' rack. Edward and Jasper both shed their hikin' boots and did the same. Edward looked around and squinted at the stable.

"She okay?" he asked.

"Fine," I answered with a hint of brotherly protection in my voice. "She's sayin' goodnight to Southern then she'll shut up the stable." He nodded and shed his socks before walking back into the house.

"We really do appreciate everything," Jasper said. "I hope we weren't rude when you first offered to help."

"Not everyone can be trusted, and you were just being protective of your loved ones. I would have done the same with Bella. No hard feelings; I promise." He thanked me and walked inside. Just as he was shutting the screen door, Bella came runnin' up the steps. She stumbled on the top one and fell forward into my arms. "Be careful, Bells. Don't want any injuries two weeks before the big race." She smiled wide at the mention of it.

"That wouldn't be good," she answered as she stood back up. I opened the door for her, and we walked inside. Rose and Alice were sitting in the living room. "I did some practice with Southern today. She ran a 15.92. I think she'll be a beaut in Katy. The new reins should help me get a better reaction time. We may be able to shave one or two hundredths off our time."

"That's great. Maybe the rain will let up tomorrow so it'll be dry enough the next day to do a few more runs. Now, what did you have planned for dinner?" She laughed as she smacked my arm.

"Is food all you think about?" I just shrugged. I was hungry. She turned to our guests who had been pretty quiet. "Do y'all have any food allergies, or are there any foods you don't like?" They shook their heads. "Kay. I'm gonna get started after I get cleaned up. Emmett can show you around proper, or you could keep me company in the bakehouse." We watched as she walked off to her room.

"Bakehouse?" Edward asked as they came back in the living room. "You have a separate building to cook in?" I smiled at the question. They truly were city folk.

"No," I answered. "Bakehouse is another word for kitchen. She uses a lot of colloquialisms. It even took me some time to get used to 'em, even more when I moved back. I'm gonna get changed to, and I'll be back in a minute."

I changed quickly not wanting to be a bad host. I tossed the dirty clothes in the laundry on my way back to the living room. It was heapin' up and would probably need to be washed soon. I could hear Bella in the kitchen getting things started. I leaned in to ask how long she'd be. After rolling her eyes at me, she said it'd be about an hour. I made my way back to the living room and sat in dad's favorite rocker.

"Bella has such a stronger accent than you," Alice observed. "Did you work at softening yours?"

"No," I answered. "I went off the college then found work in Richmond, Virginia. I spent eight years away from Texas. It sorta mellowed out the harshness of it. I also stopped using a lot of the idioms. People didn't understand 'em up north."

"Where did you go to school; what for?" Rose asked.

"I went to MIT. I was a computer hardware engineer. When dad died two years ago, I came back. I was only gonna stay long enough to get the ranch settled. Bella was plannin' on goin' to college. When I mentioned hiring someone to run this place, she refused. She said she wasn't lettin' some stranger run daddy's ranch and refused to leave. I've been tryin' to convince her to go back or at least take some online classes. This ranch has been her whole life. I don't think she'll leave it now."

We continued to talk for a while. I learned they were from Seattle originally. The move to Dallas had to be a shock. Jasper and Rosalie were 27, only a year younger than me. Jasper was a history professor at Southern Methodist University, and Rose was an exotic car mechanic. I could just picture her leaned over a car while I took her from behind, that beautiful blonde hair wrapped around my wrist with her back arched like a cat. I shook the image from my mind not wanting to pitch a tent with her brother in the room.

Alice and Edward were 25 and knew the Hale twins because their parents were close friends. Alice was a fashion designer and just opened her own store. Edward was graphic designer and wanted to start his own company where he'd work from home. We talked about their trip and their move. They'd only been in Dallas for a week and a half. They asked about the ranch and all the animals. Alice was bouncing in excitement when I told her she could explore the ranch if the rain let up. I offered to show them around the house, but they said they'd looked around while we were finishing up at the stables.

I turned the television on and found a replay of yesterday's Cowboys and Redskins game. The rain was coming down hard so I had to turn the volume up loud. Jasper and Rosalie stayed to watch while Alice and Edward went to the kitchen to see if Bella needed any help. I knew she'd refuse but let them go hopin' she'd let 'em stay and keep her company. I worried about her sometimes. She spent all her time on the ranch and with Southern. She needed some social interaction. We got to watch the first quarter before Bella called us for supper. I turned off the TV, and we joined them in the kitchen.

"Wow!" Rosalie said when we walked in. "This is bigger than I was expecting, and that table is so long." The kitchen table was a wooden picnic table that could seat 20. Jasper, Alice, and Edward sat on one side while the others sat opposite.

"We got a lot of mouths to feed during the day," Bella answered. "It's always a fight to sit at the table. We always got people in the front room and on the porch too." She put everything on the table as we took our seats. "Fried chicken, mash potatoes, corn, and green beans. Eat up." I moaned when she listed the menu. She didn't make fried chicken often, and it was one of my favorites.

"Mmmm, Bells. This smells great," I said. She smiled in thanks and finished passing out plates and silverware. We plated up and dug in. It was quiet for a few minutes save the noises of satisfaction coming from everyone.

"This is wonderful Bella," Edward said. She blushed and looked down as she whispered her thanks. Everyone else agreed with him. She never took compliments very well, even from dad and me.

*****

I woke the next morning to the pitter-patter of rain on the roof. I hoped the power had come back on. Bella was just finishing dishes when the lights flickered and stayed off. We got flashlights for everyone before hittin' the sack. Rose had lingered at my door continuing the small talk. We were probably there an hour, just talkin'. It was nice. When she stifled a yawn and I insisted she turn in for the night, I decided to be bold. I cupped her cheek and leaned forward slowly. I wouldn't force her to do anything. She didn't show any signs of stoppin' so I pressed my lips to hers. She kissed me back slowly, and my body felt an electric hum from the contact. Unfortunately, we had to break apart when a door was heard squeakin'. I could have cursed Bella and her dry mouth. Rose shuffled off to Bella's room before my cockblocking sister could get her water and disappear into the office.

Maybe today would be a better day. Rose and I were gonna go pick up the car to bring back. I could only pray we'd be goin' alone. Before I could think about that though, I had to get the mornin' chores done. I had set my phone alarm for 4:15 so I could get most of 'em done before Bella got up. She deserved a break since she did all the work yesterday. I shuffled around the room as quietly as I could so I wouldn't wake Edward in the living room.

Once I was dressed, I tiptoed out to the barn to start the day. The rain was still lingerin', but it was only a light sprinkle. Hopefully we could get the car before it turned into another downpour. Bella came out around 5:30 and groused about me doin' her chores. After ten minutes of pretendin' to be bothered by it she walked over and pecked me on the cheek. I smiled knowing that would be the closest I'd get to a thank you. She hated for people to do things for her insistin' she didn't need anyone.

It was around 8:15 when our guests emerged onto the porch. The men looked apprehensively at the sky while Alice bounced around looking at the place excitedly and Rose reached her arms above her head to stretch. My eyes were drawn to the sliver of skin left exposed between her jeans and shirt. It looked silky smooth, and my fingers itched to find out if those looks were deceiving.

"When can we go get the car big guy?" she called across the yard. I smiled and shrugged.

"Whenever you can get in gear," I answered back. I could have sworn I saw her eyes twinkle when her face lit up in a mischievous smile. She turned back into the house and returned with keys in hand. I started walkin' towards the porch.

"Come on, Emmett. Why don't cha take me for a ride?" I laughed when I saw Jasper clear his throat and shoot her what should have been a warning look. "No Jasper, you're not going."

She looped her arm in mine and pulled me towards the garage. I turned back to see Jasper giving me a look. I recognized it; I'd even given it to plenty of the boys that worked on the ranch when I caught 'em lookin' at Bella the wrong way. I tried to show him without words that I would behave myself. I wasn't gonna have sex with her in a truck. He had no worries, at least not yet. He seemed to get the message and nodded.

I keep to my silent word too. I kissed her, kissed her hard and good before hookin' the Volvo onto the truck. There was even some light pettin', but we didn't have sex. I could tell she wanted to though, and damn did I ever. This woman was a goddess. She had a tight little body, but she was smart and quick too. She kept me on my toes during the ride there and back, which only served to make me crave her more. When we got back and put the car in the garage Bella was callin' for lunch. I sent Rosalie ahead and went to the shop's bathroom to rub one off before headin' to the house. I didn't need anyone seein' how she affected me.

I finally made my way inside and took a seat next to Rose. Bella kept it light with chicken salad sandwiches. I made two and set to work on the first one. Conversation was goin' on around me, but I just listened in. Bella was askin' more about what they did for a livin'. All she really knew was ranchin'; I could see her eyes light up in wonder at all the stuff she was learnin', and it made me wish I had pushed her harder to go to college. The thought was shoved from my mind when the vixen next to me shifted so her thigh was restin' against mine. The heat radiating off her felt pleasant.

Once she finished her lunch, she scooted closer to the table. She propped one elbow on the table and dropped the opposite hand, the one closest to me, to her lap. A few seconds later, I felt her hand ghost over my jean clad thigh. I had to resist the urge to moan. She rested her hand on my inner thigh and gave it a squeeze. _Shit! _I looked over to see if anyone had noticed, but they were all focused on Bella as she talked about barrel racing. Rose's propped up arm was serving as a shield to what she was up to. That detour to the shop bathroom was useless. I was hard again.

I was half way through the second sandwich when I felt her hand slide higher. _Is she really gonna do this with my sister and her brother not three feet away?_ Yes, yes she was. Her fingers lightly massaged on the way north until she was positioned right on my dick. I saw her eyes widen a bit when she felt my rock-hard erection. _That's right baby. Feel how big I am. You're gonna be in for one helluva ride._ I smirked when she looked over then winked. She smirked back and gave a hard squeeze. The action caught me off guard and I jerked a bit. She retracted her hand with a smug smile.

"You alright down there, Emmy?" Bella asked. I cleared my throat before looking over at her.

"Yep," I answered. "Had a spasm, I guess. I'm good." She looked at me dubiously before returnin' to her conversation. Rose leaned over to whisper quietly.

"I hope you can keep those spasms under control. I'd hate for you to spasm prematurely." I grinned at her boldness.

"Rosie, I'm anything but premature. I'm so good you'll walk funny till Sunday."

"We'll see." This woman was in for a surprise.

Bella stood up and started clearing the table. Edward helped her wash the dishes. He said he was gonna help Bella with the horses after they finished in the kitchen. I heard her say she'd even teach him to ride if it wasn't rainin' too bad. Alice and Jasper, or really just Alice, asked if they could explore the ranch. I took 'em out to the back shed where we kept the ATVs. I set 'em up on a four-wheeler and let 'em at it. It'd keep 'em occupied for a while. Alice immediately headed to the sheep.

I went to the garage to see if Rose had started. I walked in to see her bent over the hood tools laid out next to her feet. I groaned at the scene and clicked the lock into place. We weren't gonna be interrupted. I walked over to where she was working and stood just behind her. I watched as her delicate hands wrapped around the camshaft and down towards the intake valve. She tugged at something, and I wanted her fingers wrapped around my straining cock pumping me.

She huffed in annoyance and shifted backwards causin' her ass to brush my erection. She stilled when she realized she wasn't alone. I leaned forward and placed my hands on either side of her body. I leaned in so I was a hair's breath away from her ear. I was so far forward that my body was lying lightly against hers. I could just feel every curve and every gloriously shallow, labored breath.

"How does it feel?" I asked quietly.

"Hard," she answered breathily. I chuckled at her one-track mind.

"I meant the engine." She leaned back so that our bodies were pressed firmly against each other.

"Are you really asking about the car?" _A no bullshit lady. Fuck me._ She ground her ass against me making sure I didn't mistake her intent.

"No."

I growled at her just before flipping her around and kissing her hard. She slipped her tongue in my mouth and I moaned loving her forwardness. _I love a woman that knows what she wants and goes for it. _I wrapped my arms around her rockin' body and palmed her sweet ass. She pushed further into me, and I could feel the heat radiatin' off of her. She wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled me even closer. I grabbed my hat and tossed it in the bed of the truck.

"We could get caught," she said when I attached my mouth to that succulent neck.

"Scared?" I taunted. I wasn't gonna tell her I locked the door.

"Not at all big boy. I'd be scared if I were you though. My brother can be a mean bastard." I grinned as I nibbled her earlobe.

"I'll worry about me." I pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Now, are you really talkin' about your brother?" She smiled brightly.

"No." She pulled our faces together roughly and pushed me backwards. I walked blindly letting her lead. I stopped abruptly when my back hit the truck. "Put the tailgate down."

I did as she commanded. With my back turned she pulled my shirt up. I lifted my arms, and she yanked it off fully. I grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the truck. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head before kissin' her again. I reached behind to unhook her bra and tossed it to the ground. Her hands ghosted over my chest. My muscled loved feelin' her touch 'em and contracted under her touch.

I pulled back, and my eyes feasted on her naked breasts. She was perfect. I cupped one in my hand and leaned down to kiss her hardened pebble. She gasped as I took her nipple between my teeth and bit gently. Her hands grasped my head and went to tuggin' me closer. I squeezed and kneaded her other breast not wantin' it to feel left out. I felt her hand reach down and palm me through my Wranglers. I groaned at the sensation wantin' more.

"Emmett," she whined. "Emmett. I don't want any more foreplay. I want your cock in me now."

"Yes, ma'am." I started unbuttonin' her jeans. She lifted herself to give me room to shed her clothes. I yanked her jeans and underwear down. She was completely bare. I ran my finger over her soaking slit. I leaned down and took a deep breath. I could smell how aroused she was, and if that wasn't an indication, _God, she's so wet._ "You really want this, don't you Rosie?"

"_Ungh_." I flattened my tongue and took one long swipe of her lower lips. "Oh, yeah."

She leaned back and propped herself on her elbows. I grabbed her ankles and put her feet on the edge of the tailgate. I pushed her knees apart and leaned back to her dripping pussy. She smelled divine. I pushed my tongue into her opening and was rewarded with a moan. I lazily traced her lips and up to her clit. I circled the nub without actually touching it. I peered up at her to see her eyes clamped closed and head lolled back. She was panting.

Her body responded real nice. Her hips lifted to meet my tongue and she moaned a deep moan. I flicked her clit and she started chanting _yes_ over and over again. She latched onto my hair and pulled me deeper wanting it harder. I reached forward and pressed one finger into her tight entrance. Her hips started moving in earnest. I heard her whisper more and added another finger. I felt her start to tighten and sped up my rhythm.

"Almost, almost," she chanted. "So close." I pulled her clit between my lips and bit down gently. It was enough to send her over the edge. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and her walls clamped down on my fingers. I continued to thrust into her until she came down from her high. I pulled out of her and looked up with a cocky grin. "Come here." She crooked a finger at me as she scooted further into the truck. "And lose those while you're at it." She was pointin' at my jeans.

I shimmied out of the Wranglers before hoppin' into the bed of the truck. She caught sight of my cock, and her eyes widened a bit. I smirked at the look. _That's right. You ready for this? _She reached forward and closed that hand tightly around my shaft. I fought to keep my eyes from rollin' in the back of my head. She pumped me three times then stopped. I looked down at her wonderin' what made her stop. She just smiled up at me.

"I'll reciprocate later," she said. "Right now, I want this," she gripped my dick tighter, "in me." I dropped to my knees and leaned over her pulling her bottom lip between my teeth. "Roll over cowboy." She grabbed my hat and placed it on her head. "I wanna ride."

"Then saddle up, gorgeous," I said as I turned over and lay on my back. She sat up and straddled me placin' her pussy just over my cock. I bucked my hips up, and my cock slide between her lips and over her clit. She shuddered at the feelin' so I did it again. "No more teasin'."

I positioned myself at her entrance and slowly lowered her inch by inch. I could feel myself stretch her and let out a long breath when I was fully sheathed within her. I looked up at the most gorgeous woman I'd ever met. She truly was a goddess. She lifted up before lowerin' herself back onto me. I gripped her hips a bit tighter and helped her find a steady rhythm. I loved the feel of her takin' me in.

I reached up and pinched her nipple eliciting a hiss from her. She leaned back and braced her hands on my thighs. The change in angle let me go deeper than before; it felt amazing. I felt my balls tightenin' and knew it wouldn't be long. I lifted her body up a fraction and slammed jack hammered into her. She started moanin' loudly and lifted one hand from my leg to start rubbin' her clit. I tried not to focus on the sight knowin' it would make me come faster. _I love a woman that know's what she wants._

"Right there!" she screamed. "Oh, yeah. Just like that. Don't stop. Don't stop."

I gritted my teeth in concentration. I felt her tighten and the feel of it nearly sent me over the edge, but I had to hold out. I needed her to come first. I reached forward and pushed her hand away from her mound. I grabbed her clit and pinched. She clamped onto my cock and screamed as she came. I followed right behind, roarin' my own release. The pleasure coursed through me for what felt like an eternity.

I pulled her forward until she fell onto my chest. I wrapped my arms around her little body not wantin' this to end. We both lay there breathin' heavy. I just had the best, most intense orgasm of my life. Layin' here with her in my arms felt infinitely better. My chest ached, and I couldn't tell why. It took a few minutes for our bodies to calm down,b ut eventually they did. She rolled off me and I felt the loss of her by my side. She sat up and looked over at me her face lit up.

"Why are you grinnin' like a weasel in a hen house?" I asked.

"Because I just got fucked two ways to Sunday, and I've never felt better," she answered. I grinned and sat up enough to lean over to her. I kissed her softly and slowly.

"You were amazing."

"You weren't so bad yourself." I loved her playfulness. Her face turned down in a frown. I ran my thumb over her bottom pouting lip and cupped her cheek.

"What is it baby?" Calling her baby felt so right.

"I hate that I'm leaving. It just doesn't feel right." My heart hurt at the thought. I pulled her back to me and kissed her again.

"Let's just not think about it. Let's enjoy the time we got together." She nodded then scooted to the end of the truck. She hopped down and got dressed tossing my clothes to me. She looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"No underwear?" I laughed.

"It's laundry day." She laughed and rolled her eyes before walking back to the car. I got dressed slowly wishin' I was a computer engineer in Dallas. Maybe we'd have a chance. With me on the ranch though, it wasn't even a possibility._ This is how it's gotta be._

"I gotta get some stuff done around the ranch."

"Yep," she said from under the hood. "I'll see ya later." Her voice was clipped and casual. I wished she'd sounded sad or somethin', anything other than _normal._

I spent the rest of the day workin' around the ranch. Bella cooked dinner again that night, and we all ate at the kitchen table. There was conversation, but it wasn't completely upbeat. Rosalie had fixed the car earlier in the day. They'd be leavin' in the mornin'. No one seemed particularly happy about that. The rain had picked back up, but it wasn't as bad as the day before. We all decided to go to bed early. An hour after all the doors closed, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Rose.

"Thank god," was all I said before pullin' her inside.

We spent the night explorin' each other's bodies, giving, and receiving pleasure. I fell asleep with her in my arms only to wake to an empty bed. They were all packed and ready to go by 8:30 that morning. Bella and I helped 'em load up and said goodbye. It had only been two days, but we'd really grown close under the circumstances. I didn't want Rose to go, but I also thought I'd miss the rest of 'em.

As they loaded up Rose leaned forward and kissed my cheek. She whispered in my ear that she had a wonderful time and would always remember me. _This is how it's gotta be._ She was always gonna go back to Dallas. It was always only about sex. I thanked her for givin' herself to me and told her she'd forever be ingrained in my mind. _And on my heart._ I left the last thought silent. I didn't want to make her feel bad for not feelin' as strongly about me.

She stepped inside, and I closed the door for her. _This is how it's gotta be. _Edward pulled away and started his drive down the dirt road. _This is how it's gotta be._ I looked over at Bella. Her face was so sad. I reached over and pulled her into my side as we watched them drive away. She leaned her head against me and sighed. _This is how it's gotta be._ If only. If only she could have stayed. If only she could have lived closer. If only I could have been in a different stage of my life. _This is how it's gotta be._

She was perfect. She was everything I wanted in a woman. She was everything I could have ever dreamed of. She made me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time. She made me want to be somebody different. She made me wanna be a better man. She made me want her. _This isn't how it's gotta be._ I prayed somethin' would change. I prayed somehow she'd be mine. Just before the first bend in the road, I saw the brake lights.

* * *

**AN: So here it is. My second attempt at smut. I just wanna say, I had a totally different story planned for this then started writin'. This came out, and I'm proud of it. I have a whole backstory for this little piece, and after the competition I'll have two companion pieces for it. **

**This was hard to write. I'm kinda a grammatical freak. Droppin' the 'g' and typin' 'me' instead of 'I' or usin' the wrong tense...it got to me. It took me longer to write 'cause I was tryin' to mess up. Make sense? **

**I've never written Emmett/Rosalie before so this was an adventure. Gettin' inside his head was a bit scary at times, but hopefully it came out good.**

**I hope yaenjoyed. Please review, and let me know what ya think. I'd appreciate all comments and thoughts. **

**Story Notes: **

training draw bit, rope reins, and cinch-equipment used for barrel racing

NBHA-National Barrel Horse Association

Divinity-a meringue-type confection also known as white divinity fudge or even rolls. Divinity candy most likely originated in the early 1900s.

15.92-the time of Souther's circuit; 16.00 is considered good.

ATV-all terrain vehicle


	2. One Last Time

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**One Last Time**_

I really was excited for this trip. The move from Seattle to Dallas had been long and tiring. I missed hanging out with Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie. We had been friends since we were born. It was expected since our parents were such close friends. After graduation, even though we all moved back to Seattle, the time spent together grew further and further apart. It was a spur of the moment decision, a rather crazy decision to pack up and move to Dallas. We decided a change in scenery could be fun, and we were young enough to do it. Therefore, carpe diem. That was a few weeks ago.

Texas was a foreign place for us all. Jasper went to Columbia to study history. Rosalie went to Bowling Green in Illinois to study Electro-mechanic Systems Technology. Alice went to The Art Institute of California in San Diego to study fashion, while I went to the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles. I was excited when everyone decided to move back to Seattle. It just didn't work out like I had hoped. When Jasper suggested a move to Dallas, the least likely person in the group I expected that from, we all jumped at the idea.

We still had a few weeks before things picked up so we decided to drive to Big Bend National Park. We didn't realize at the time how far that would be. We had been on the road for hours at this point, and my back was starting to hurt. We knew Rosalie wasn't feeling too hot. She made sure to voice her pain often. Jasper and Alice were in the back cuddled up as usual. He may be my best friend, but she was still my sister and my twin to top. I didn't like to see that all the time. I wondered how much further we had to go and pulled out the map. Before I could hand it to Rosalie, the car sputtered and started to slow.

"Shit!" I yelled as I hit the steering wheel. "Can't we just have a clear trip?"

"Oh, shut up," Rosalie quipped back. "What the fuck did you do?"

"I didn't do anything."

I pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned on the emergency lights before turning the engine off. We all stepped out of the car into the blistering heat. That's one thing I didn't know if I could get used to. The heat here was like none other I'd ever experienced. Rosalie popped the hood. She leaned over and started her inspection. I'm glad she knew so much about cars. I rarely had to worry about taking it to a mechanic and getting ripped off. Jasper joined her because he knew a little about cars.

I pulled Alice to stand on the passenger side with me. There weren't many cars on the road in the last…oh…hour and a half, but I didn't want to take a chance of her getting hurt. I listened as Rose cursed and slammed her hand on the frame. _This can't be good._ I started to ask what it was, but when she kicked the tire and let out a string of expletives, I decided to stay quiet. She needed to expel the anger before I said anything.

She moved back to the hood and bent over to tinker some more. The sun started to lessen, and I noticed there were some clouds moving in. It looked like it would rain soon. I heard a vehicle and looked up to see an old truck coming from the direction we had come. It slowed down and pulled to the side of the road in front of us making me feel uncomfortable. The man sat in the truck for a minute, and my anxiety increased. He finally slid out of the truck and turned toward us.

He was a huge man. He stood taller than Jasper who was 6' 4". His shoulders were broad and arms a bit bulky. He didn't look like those bodybuilders; he just looked like he either stayed in shape or did manual labor. He was, since I didn't know him, very intimidating; at least, he was until he smiled.

He flirted with Rosalie, and she flirted back even against Jasper's protests. Emmett Swan, as he introduced himself, offered to give us a place to sleep for the night. He sounded like a kind, friendly, and genuine person, but we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Rosalie opened her big mouth through and accepted his offer. He rearranged everything in his truck, and soon we were on our way to only God knows where.

The first part of the ride was uncomfortable to say the least, but Alice eased the tension and the conversation flowed. About twenty miles from the car he turned off onto a driveway. We passed through an archway and he told us it was a ranch. The further we drove, the more uneasy I became. What if we were wrong to trust him? What if he was a serial killer that lured his victims by using his friendliness?

We turned a bend in the road and saw five buildings ahead. I relaxed a bit because the place looked homey. He drove to the back of one of the buildings where someone was tossing hay off a truck. All I could see was the back of her, but what I saw was nice. She was a little shorter than Rosalie. Her hair was chocolate brown with a hit of red. It was tucked into a high ponytail and the small hairs at the nape of her long, slender neck were curled with sweat. Her jeans were snug enough to show off her tight little ass. There were small holes all over them and two in her back pockets. I could see skin and a hint of red. She had to be wearing cheekies. I groaned. _My favorite._

She wore a white wife beater covered in sweat and dirt. The damp cloth was see-through, and _fuck me,_ she was wearing a matching red lace bra. I watched as her arms flexed as she dead lifted the bales. She wasn't bulky, just toned. Sweat slid down her arms following the definition of the worked muscles. I watched as her back muscles constricted when she lifted another. I could just picture her as she rode me reverse cowgirl. I shook my head as I scolded myself.

_No. Don't think that. No more meaningless sex. It didn't get you anywhere before; it won't do you any good now._

"I stabled Southern, Maverick, and July Heat, gathered the eggs, fed the chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs, and one of your cows got tangled in the barbed wire so I had to cut her free then mend the line. You owe me, and damn it, I told you not to bale at 90 lbs. I can handle the 70s just fine. That extra twenty pounds adds about an hour of work," she was saying when I tuned into the conversation. Her voice sounded like bells, and I felt myself harden at the sound. Then I clued into what she had said. I didn't know many women that would work that hard.

Emmett apologized for worrying her, but she wouldn't admit to it. It looked like he was going to defend himself, but Rosalie spoke up and did it for him. I guess she hadn't heard us get out of the truck, because the voice of someone other than her brother startled her. She whipped around, and I felt my breath leave me in a whoosh. She was stunning. She had a heart shaped face, big, expressive chocolate eyes, and perfect, pink lips. She was flushed from the heat and hard work, and I imagined it was how she'd look after a thorough fucking.

I didn't have time to scold myself for the last thought before I watched as she tripped on a hay bale and started to fall. I wanted to run forward and catch her, but there wasn't enough time. She fell with a huff onto a stack of hay. _Thank God._ She flushed red with embarrassment before scurrying up. Emmett pulled her under his arm and introduced us.

"Everyone, this is my baby sister, Bella. Bella, this is Rosalie and Jasper Hale and Edward and Alice," Emmett said. She shook everyone's hand. When her calloused hand slipped into mine, I felt a jolt of electricity. Her hand was small, but fit into mine perfectly. She had to have felt it too, because she quietly gasped and shot her eyes to our intertwined hands.

"Of course. Wouldn't want you caught in what's comin'. Supposed to be a doosy. I'm Bella as he said," she said in response to something I didn't hear. Her thick southern drawl only enhanced the sexiness of her voice.

She said she'd show us to the house to let us get settled. We grabbed our things and as many grocery bags as we could. Between the five of us, we were able to grab all the bags. She had us set the groceries on the couch so she could show us where to put our stuff.

"Alrighty," she said. "Our livin' quarters are a bit on the small side. We got one guest room. Are any of y'all coupled up?"

"We are," Alice said cheerily as she grabbed Jasper's arm.

"You two willin' to shack up or ya want separate rooms?"

"Same," Alice chirped as I said, "Different." She glared at me.

"Siblings?" Bella asked.

"Twins to be exact," my annoying sister said.

"You two can have the guest room." She opened a door on the right side of the hall. Alice and Jasper went inside to put down their bags. "You two a couple?" I didn't even get a chance to consider the question.

"Hell no," Rosalie said. "We aren't together and won't be sharing a room."

"Thank God," I said under my breath. Rosalie and I got along when it was necessary, but we didn't go out of our way to be friendly.

"Well then, Rosalie, you'll be stayin' in here," Bella said as she opened a door on the left. The bedroom was moderately sized with a queen-sized bed. "It's my room. The sheets are clean. I just stripped the bed this mornin' 'cause I'll be doin' laundry soon."

"I don't want to take your room," Rosalie said.

"No worries. I got a place to sleep. I promise." She smiled letting Rosalie know it really wasn't a problem. Rosalie thanked her before walking into the room. Bella turned and smiled at me. She walked a bit further and opened a door on the same side of the hallway. "This is Emmett's room."

"No," I protested. "I'll take the couch. I won't take his bed from him."

"He won't mind," she assured me.

"No. I'll take the couch. It's more than enough." She smiled and stepped forward and placed a hand on my forearm. She gently rubbed it while peered up at me through those thick, enticing eyelashes.

"Are you sure? The bed's much softer and bigger. You'll have room to spread out." I swallowed thickly. _She's the female version of you,_ I told myself._ The old you. The old you._

"N-no. I'm okay. Really." She stepped back with a shrug.

"If you're sure. You know where the couch is."

She walked off to the living room. I went to the only door she hadn't opened hoping it was the bathroom. It was. I stepped inside and locked the door behind me. I looked in the mirror and smirked. I had finally decided to change my ways. No longer was I going to have one-night stands; no more wham-bam-thank you ma'ams. It wasn't fulfilling anymore. I wanted a relationship. I wanted a woman that would be there for me, be a constant. I wanted to grow with her, have a strong bond. _Karma's a bitch._

What I got was a fucktastic woman, at least from what I'd seen and heard, standing in front of me flirting shamelessly. A mere month ago, I would have been the one worming my way into her bed. I turned on the water and splashed my face hoping to calm my body down. I had to get it together. I'd be gone in less than a day, two at the most. We could never be together. This was a passing acquaintance. I shouldn't be kidding myself.

Then again, this was a passing acquaintance. I would never see her again. Dallas was going to be a new start, a fresh start with a clean slate. That slate could begin after this trip. I could have her; she obviously wanted it. She wouldn't mean anything. It could be a last hurrah, my last one-night stand; a farewell of sorts. I looked at myself in the mirror once again as a smile crept onto my face. One last tryst.

Once my body was under control, I went back to the living room to put my bag down. The groceries were gone, and I couldn't hear any movement in the house. I took a seat after placing the bag at the end of the couch. Five minutes later, Rose, Alice, and Jasper came in from their rooms. They all took a seat around the room. Alice was excited, about what I don't know.

"Now what?" Rosalie asked.

"Why don't we go offer to help," Jasper said. "It's the least we can do since they're giving us a place to sleep and helping with the car."

"I don't work with dirt," Rosalie said. I rolled my eyes at her. How different was it from grease?

"It's raining," Alice whined. I should have expected that.

"Edward and I will go then," Jasper said. "Let's change shoes first. I don't think we want to get these dirty." I nodded in agreement and pulled out my hiking boots. We ran out to the stables trying to avoid the rain as much as possible. Emmett was walking up a ladder carrying a hay bale. "Thanks again for everything. We're settled in at the house. Is there anything we can do out here to help?"

She asked if we have ever worked with horses, and I told her no. She seemed reluctant to let us do anything, and I could understand that. Emmett had mentioned on the drive here that the horses were Bella's domain. I knew how protective Rose could get of her cars. I imagined Bella was the same with the horses. She eventually said we could water and feed them. She showed Jasper what she wanted him to do, then crooked her finger for me to follow.

"Come on," she said. I followed her into a high-walled room off the long walkway. "I'm gonna have you feed 'em." She turned around to wink at me. "It's important they eat well. They need to build up strength and get more energy so they can last longer. Endurance is key." _Is it just me, or did it get a bit hotter in here?_ She reached back and pulled me closer.

"We can't have them getting tired too quickly," I answered as I slid in behind her and pressed her body to mine. "Show me what to do." She grabbed a bucket and handed it to me before taking one of her own.

"Just fill 'er up to this line here," she pointed to indicate the fill point, "and dump it in the feed troughs. It's not that hard." She rocked back until her ass pressed into my dick. She looked up at me innocently. "What a shame." She straightened up and walked out of the room. It took me a minute to realize the innuendo she had just thrown at me.

I filled another bucket and followed her out of the room. She showed me where the feed troughs would be in each stall and went back to helping Emmett. I noticed on the first stall that there was a wooden plaque above the door that read "Maverick." Above the next was a plaque that read "July Heat." I remembered Bella saying these words during her rant at Emmett and realized they were the horses' names. They had a lot of horses: Maverick, July Heat, Alamo, Gambler, Midnight Rendezvous, Trigger, Richmond, Brownie, Artax, Pokey, Tinker, and Southern Comfort. They were some very strange and unique names. I lingered at Maverick's stall. The horse walked up to me, and I was able to pet him.

"He's dad's," I heard Bella say thickly behind me. She leaned over the half door and kissed his cheek. "Best horse we ever had." She hopped down, grabbed the empty bucket from my hand, and walked into the room with the food.

"Let's head back in," Emmett said.

Bella yelled that she would be right behind us. We ran to the house but were soaked through despite the effort once we reached the porch. We shed the soaked boots and put them over what must have been a drying rack. I looked back, but Bella wasn't behind us. I squinted to look towards the stable, but it was raining so hard that I couldn't see very far. I hoped she hadn't fallen.

"She okay?" I heard myself ask. Emmett explained she was tucking Southern, Southern Comfort if I remembered correctly, in for the night and would be in shortly.

Jasper went to the guest room. I grabbed my bag and made my way to the bathroom. I needed to change out of these soaked clothes. I put on a dry t-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting late. I wouldn't be in them for long before bed. I opened the door just as Jasper was about to knock. We both laid our wet clothes over the side of the bathtub. Hopefully they would be dry before we left the next day; if we left the next day.

We walked back into the living room in time to hear Bella say something about a bakehouse. Emmett explained that it was a different word for the kitchen. After he changed, Alice asked about his accent and why Bella's was so much stronger. He told us about attending MIT and living in Virginia. It was a shock. In my head, I had him pictured as living on this ranch since he was born, and I especially didn't picture him as a computer hardware engineer. He didn't look like it at all.

The conversation turned to us, and we told him a little of our background. Eventually he turned on the television to some football game. Football definitely wasn't my cup of tea, nor Alice's. We were more of a baseball family. We decided to go keep Bella company and visit with her while the others watched the game. We walked into the kitchen and marveled at how large it was. For a modest-sized house, the kitchen was huge. Bella explained there were a lot of people to feed. Alice asked what she meant, and Bella told us more about how the ranch ran.

"Supper's 'bout ready!" Bella yelled as she plated the food. Alice and I set the table, well the center part of the table since it was so long, and filled the water glasses. The others came into the kitchen and Rosalie made a comment about the kitchen. "Fried chicken, mash potatoes, corn, and green beans. Eat up." I laughed when Emmett moaned. Apparently, he liked it. After a few bites, I was a fan too. I had never cared for green beans before, but her's were amazing. There was something about them I couldn't pinpoint. I complimented her food causing her to blush. I smirked at the contradiction to the vixen I had met earlier. I didn't think she realized how adorable and sexy she was with that one move.

Dinner passed without affair until the power flickered out when Bella was doing dishes. Emmett and Bella explained that their day began early and said goodnight after getting flashlights for each of us. Bella hugged everyone, me last. She placed her cheek against mine and whispered in my ear that she'd see me soon then pinched my ass before disappearing into a room at the end of the hall that no one had shown us. I changed into my pajama pants and a wife beater and returned to find a sheet tucked into the couch, a blanket folded at the end, and a pillow lying on top. Emmett told me Bella made the bed while I was in the bathroom.

I laid down and tried to sleep, but I could hear him and Rosalie talking quietly. I couldn't make out anything they were saying, just a soft lull of their voice. Almost an hour later, I heard a door open. Bella apologized saying she needed a glass of water. Emmett's door finally closed and moments later another door closed, I assumed to be Rosalie. I lay with my hands behind my head and eyes closed. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep since my mind was filled with Bella. _What I wouldn't give to feel her lips against mine. _

"God, I thought they'd never hit the sack," I startled when I heard Bella's voice so close to me. My eyes popped open, and I saw her chocolate eyes just inches from mine.

"Bella, what-" I couldn't even finish the sentence before her lips were on mine. I groaned, and she pulled back confusing me.

"Shhh!" she whispered. "My brother sleeps like an ox, but he ain't out yet. You gotta be quiet."

She pressed her lips back to mine. They were soft, wet, and insistent. I lifted my hand to thread through her hair as she lowered herself onto me. I groaned, as quietly as possible, when she stretched her entire body over mine. She licked my lower lip, and I opened to her. Before she could take further control of the kiss though, I pushed my tongue into her mouth. She tasted of mint, honey, and something that I couldn't identify. I massaged her tongue with mine, and her hands moved to rub up and down my torso.

She kissed me back with equal passion, her hands driving me crazy. I wanted her to feel me everywhere and return the favor. The room filled with the sounds of our heavy breathing and moans, or rather my moans. She was actually rather quiet. I fisted her hair and tugged so I could taste her slender neck, and she arched her head backwards. She moaned when I tugged, the first sound out of her. I licked her neck. She tasted salty but still like honey, and she smelled floral.

"Do you like that?" I asked after moving my mouth to her ear. I tugged at her hair again eliciting another moan. "Do you like when I'm rough with you?"

"Yessssss," she hissed.

As quickly as I could, I maneuvered around until she was below me. I looked down at the beautiful woman. Her chest was heaving with her heavy pants, her eyes were hooded with lust, and she had captured her bottom lip between her teeth. Her heart was racing; I could see it in the fast beat of her pulse point. I leaned down again and sucked just above her threading vein. She dug her fingernails into my back and hooked her leg around my waist. There was no hiding my erection now.

"Edward," she said breathily. I felt her hand sneak between us. "I wanna feel you. I can make you feel good." I groaned and buried my face in her neck when her warm hand wrapped around my length. I lifted slightly to give her room to work. "_Ungh, _Edward you feel amazing, like velvet covered steel." She nibbled on my earlobe as she began to stroke me.

"_Bella_," I managed to gasp.

"Lay back, Edward. I'll make you feel good." I did as instructed. She sat up and pulled my pants and boxers to my knees. I started to kick them off, but she stopped me. "No. You need to be able to pull them back on if Emmett stirs." That statement brought reality crashing back.

"Shit! Bella, we can't do this here." I reached for my pants, but she grabbed my hands.

"Are you really refusin' this?" She leaned down and licked me from base to tip removing every coherent thought from my mind. _Fuck. _She looked up at me, and I shook my head. She smiled and crawled up my body to kiss me. "Don't think. Just feel and enjoy." She started kissing my neck, down my chest, down my stomach. Just when I thought she'd put her hot little mouth on me she licked the dip between my hip and abs. "God, I love your sex V." Her voice was husky and drove me crazy.

"_Fuck_," I muttered when she took the head in her mouth without warning. She swirled her tongue around me then licked the slit. She hummed and the sensation shot through my body. She flattened her tongue and slid further down, further down. I could feel myself pant as I dug my hands into the sheets covering the couch. She fisted her hand just below her mouth and pumped in time with her mouths movement.

She sucked lightly and squeezed sending a bolt of pleasure through me. I sucked in a breath and threw my head back. _Ungh._ She reached for my hand and pulled the sheet from my grip. I released my hold slowly, and she moved my hand to her head. I looked down for the first time and almost came. The sight of my cock sliding in and out of her tantalizing mouth was mesmerizing. Then she looked up at me through her lashes as she did earlier in the day, and I felt something stir in me. She released me with a pop and smiled.

"Don't hold back, city boy," she smirked. "Show me what you want. Take control." She grabbed my other hand and placed it on her head. "You won't hurt me. Come on. Fuck my mouth."

"Fuck, Bella," I said feeling something snap. This felt so primal. "Put my dick in your mouth. Suck me."

Her eyes glazed a bit before she took me in her pretty little mouth until her lips hit my pubic bone. I swore again at the heavenly feel of her deepthroating me. I fisted her hair in a tight grip and she hummed. The vibrations coursed through me, and I had to calm myself if this was going to last more than a few minutes. She moved back up and I swear I could feel every part of her mouth. She created a vacuum with her mouth, and it felt amazing.

I guided her with my grip, tightening my hold whenever she hummed around me. I felt my hips leave the couch as I started to thrust into her mouth meeting her down strokes. She braced one hand next to my hip and reached up to rack her nails down my chest and abdomen. I felt my muscles constrict under her touch. She rubbed lower until she took my balls into her hand. I pumped into her mouth faster as she massaged them.

"_Shit_," I hissed. "I'm so fucking close." She sucked harder, and I could feel my balls tighten. I tugged at her hair to move her. "Move." We hadn't had that conversation. Hell, we hadn't had much conversation period. She shook her head minutely. She moved the hand she had resting next to my hip and clamped my mouth shut. I was going to say something, but she ran her fingers just below my sac and pressed into the skin there.

I exploded. I held her head as I felt my dick twitch and empty into her awaiting mouth. She swallowed around me the sensation prolonging the pleasure. I tried to stay quiet, but the feeling was so powerful I couldn't be sure. She was smart to cover my mouth. I finally felt myself coming down from my high. My hands slid from her hair to rest at my sides. Bella licked me clean before pulling my pants back up to cover me. I reached for her and pulled her back on top of me. I kissed her slowly in thanks.

"You were amazing," I told her once my breath was under control. She smiled and kissed me before standing. I looked at her confused. "What are you doing?"

"I'm goin' to bed," she said as if it were obvious. I didn't want that. I wanted her to stay here. I wanted to return the favor, make her feel good, and then hold her. I'd never felt that way before. I'd never wanted to give a girl the wrong impression. But this was Bella. I wanted her to know she wasn't just being used.

"Stay." I sat up slightly and grabbed her hand. "Let me return the favor." I didn't want to scare her by wanting to cuddle.

"Oh, you'll return the favor; just not tonight." She pulled her hand from my grasp before running it through my hair. "Sleep well."

She walked down the hall and disappeared into some room. I frowned not liking whatever I was feeling. No woman had ever given and not immediately wanted something in return. I've also not met a woman that didn't want some affection right afterwards. Fuck, I just fucked her mouth, and she walked away without saying two sentences. I'd never wanted to show affection afterwards. What the hell was going on with me? I turned onto my side and sighed knowing it would all be better in the morning light.

Unfortunately, I lay awake for hours. I couldn't keep the images of her peering up at me out of my head, or the feel of my hands in her hair, or the feel of her deep-_Fuck!_ I'd never get any sleep thinking about that. If I were being honest with myself, I'd realize how much different I felt about her, but that would have required me to examine myself, and that wasn't going to happen. I was just fine. I was happy. I was going to be happy. I rolled over onto my stomach and tried to clear my head to get some sleep.

I woke the next morning feeling groggy. I hadn't slept much, and when I did, I dreamt of Bella in Dallas. It was weird. I shook my head to clear the unlikely images and headed to the bathroom. Luckily, the power was back on, and the bathroom was empty. I folded mine and Jasper's now dry clothes before taking a hot shower. I dressed and went back to the living room. Alice and Jasper were sitting on the couch, the sheets folded up.

"Morning," Alice chirped. I took the coffee mug from her hands and took a much needed sip. "Hey! That was mine." I looked over at her but didn't say anything.

"Looks like you had a rough night," Jasper said. I glanced at him but didn't say anything. "I'll get you another cup, Ali Kat." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before getting up and heading to the kitchen. I sat quietly and sipped my coffee.

"You have to be patient," Alice said. I looked at her with my eyebrows scrunched. "She wants it too. She's just scared to get attached."

"What are you talking about?" I asked completely confused. She rolled her eyes as if I should have known what she was talking about.

"Bella, of course. She wants it too. I saw it." I rolled my eyes at her. She seemed to think she could see future events.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Alice." Rosalie walked out, and it was one of the few times I was glad she interrupted. "Good morning, Rose." She grunted a hello. I knew she wasn't very talkative until she had coffee.

"Where are Emmett and Bella?" she asked as Jasper handed her a cup of coffee. He sat back down on the couch with a cup for Alice.

"Emmett left the house this morning at 4:30. Bella left at 5:30." Since I hadn't slept well, they woke me even though they tried to be quiet. I had checked my phone.

"That's too fucking early. What time is it now?" I checked my watch.

"It's 8:00. Let's finish our coffee then head outside. Hopefully we can get the car back here and fixed." Everyone nodded.

We stepped out on the porch, and I looked up at the sky. Though it wasn't raining, the day didn't look promising. Rosalie asked Emmett about getting the car, flirting the whole time. I rolled my eyes at how she had no couth. Emmett didn't miss a beat and flirted right back with her. After she retrieved the keys, she said something suggestive. I could see Jasper getting uncomfortable and almost laughed when Rose told him he wouldn't be coming along. Emmett seemed to say with his eyes that he wouldn't do anything.

"Well," Bella said and startled me. I didn't hear her walk up. "I've gotta take care of the horses, feed the chickens, goats, and sheep. I should really go check the perimeter and make sure the mend held, otherwise I'd be a good host and entertain y'all."

"Don't worry about us," I answered. "Jasper and I can feed and water the horses if you need us too. That'll be one less thing you have to worry about."

"You sure y'all don't mind?" I looked over to Jasper, and he nodded. "I 'preciate it."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Alice said as she bounced and raised her hand. We all laughed. "I can help with something as long as there's no chance of me getting attacked." Bella threw her head back and laughed. She looked beautiful. The sun was peeking through the clouds and hit her face causing a glow around her. It took my breath away.

"You can feed the sheep and chickens. The goats get rough, and I don't think ya want anything to do with the pigs." We watched as Alice scrunched her face. "Come on." She grabbed Alice's hand and walked away. She looked over her shoulder at us. "Y'all know what to do."

We went into the stables to get started. We worked in silence. Jasper seemed to be so at ease and comfortable on the ranch. It wasn't that he was comfortable, it looked like he was meant to do it. I knew he had worked with the equestrian team at Columbia, but I didn't know it made him this comfortable around the animals. I asked him about it, and he confided that he wanted to move to Texas because he was thinking about getting into ranching. It seemed so out of place, but Jasper often kept his thoughts to himself until he had things planned out.

We passed most of the time in silence. I lingered at Southern Comfort's stall. The horse was beautiful, and you could see how toned it was. The horse made some noise and nudged at my shoulder. I reached forward slowly not wanting to scare it. Okay, not wanting to get myself bite or kicked or something like that. He, or she, seemed to like being petted. I turned around when I felt Bella place a hand on my forearm. Every time she touched me, I felt a spark.

"He, or she, is beautiful," I said as I turned back to the horse.

"Southern is a girl," she answered. "She's the best barrel racer I've had." I looked back at her.

"Barrel race?" She laughed.

"You don't know what that is?" I shook my head. She turned to Jasper. "You know what it is?" He nodded.

"I don't think Alice knows either," Jasper said.

"Why don't I show y'all?" Her eyes were twinkling at the idea. I nodded, and Jasper said he'd go get Alice once Bella told him she was at the chicken house.

Watching her on Southern was captivating. She was so confident and graceful. It looked like she was part of the horse, in tune with its every move. Each time she rounded a barrel I thought she was going to fall off or knock it over, but she skimmed by and sprinted off for the next one. They were so fast. There was a timer at the start/finish line. I watched as 15.90 registered. That was fast; at least I thought it was.

After cooling down the horse and returning her to the stall, Bella said she was going to start lunch. As soon as Emmett and Rosalie returned, we would eat. She had shown us all how to brush the horses, so that's how we spent our time before lunch. Emmett and Rosalie came back with the car just in time for lunch. While we ate, Bella asked lots of questions about what we did for a living. You could tell she was genuinely interested. She didn't divert her attention from us until Emmett jumped, but he dismissed it as nothing.

Once lunch was over, I offered to help her with the dishes. Rosalie went to work on the car, and Emmett was going to set Alice and Jasper up with an ATV before he got to work. I helped Bella clean the dishes and put them away. We went outside and back to the stable. We didn't get to brush all the horses before lunch. I watched as Emmett walked into the garage to check on Rosalie. I headed for the tack room as Bella called it where all the supplies were kept to grab a brush. Before I could grab it though, I felt Bella grab my hand and pull me towards the ladder.

"Bella," I said as I looked around to see if her brother was anywhere near. "What are you doing?" She started climbing the stairs and motioned for me to follow.

"I told ya I'd teach ya to ride," she said with an impish smile.

"The horses are down there." She giggled, and the sound went straight to my cock.

"I'm going to teach ya some basics first."

She pulled my shirt over my head and started unbuttoning my jeans as she kissed me. I loved how passionate she was in everything I'd seen her do. I kissed her back and started working on her jeans too. That had to be those damn four button ones, although, her ass looked damn sexy in them. She shoved me backwards, and I fell onto a blanket covered hay bale. She pulled my jeans and boxers off before tugging her shirt off, and _fuck me_ she wasn't wearing a bra. She shimmied out of her pants, and _fuck me harder_ she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"First you gotta mount her," she said. I quirked an eyebrow. "Or him." She swung a leg over me and sat down on my stomach. "Then you gotta settle into the saddle just right." She wiggled down until my dick settle between her lower lips. I groaned at how wet she already was. "Next, you gotta get used the _feel_ of the motion." She started to slowly rock back and forth.

"Shit!" I exclaimed at feeling her so close to me. "Baby, I don't have a rubber."

"Don't worry. I'm on the pill." She lifted up and positioned me at her entrance. She sunk down slowly inch by glorious inch. I had dreamt about her last night, but it was better than I could have imagined. "_Ungh._ Edward, oh god, Edward." I growled hearing the pleasure behind her words and grabbed her hips. "Wait. Wait. _Ungh." _I held still even though I wanted to feel her moving over me. "Okay. Once you're in the saddle, you gotta let your body roll with the movement of the horse."

"Bella," my hoarse voice called her name. She rocked slowly her hands resting on my chest. My hands moved from her hips to her breasts. I palmed them and realized they fit perfectly into my hands. I rolled her nipples between my fingers. Her mouth fell open and head back. She leaned back and braced her hands on my thighs. I groaned at the change of angle. It caused me to penetrate deeper, and it pushed her breasts out.

"Fuck yeah." She sped up her movements. I lifted my hips to meet her thrusts. I trailed one hand down to where our bodies met. I used my thumb to rub circles on her clit. "E-E-Ed-Edward. _Ungh._"

"Does that feel good, Bella?" I managed to pant out. She nodded her head frantically as she tried to keep her moans quiet. She truly was beautiful. I could get used to this sight. "Do you like to feel my cock filling you?" She whimpered and nodded again.

"So close, so close." I doubled my efforts because I could feel my balls tightening. She fell forward and bit my shoulder as she came. The combination of her walls contracting around me, squeezing me and surprising pleasure of her biting me sent me over the edge. I buried my face in her neck to keep quiet.

I felt her body fall limp as I came back down to earth. I wrapped my arms around her back to hold her to me. She sighed and nuzzled her nose in my neck. I smiled at the small gesture. Her body fit to mine perfectly. _If only I'd met you in Dallas,_ I thought. She sat up and pulled off me slowly. When I slipped from her, I felt the loss. She leaned forward and kissed me.

"That was…it was...I can't even describe it," she said with a shake of her head. "It was beyond wonderful. Thank ya."

"No. Thank _you_," I said back. She smiled, sadly? I watched as she dressed quickly.

"I've gotta care for the horses and check the mend. I'll see ya later." She hurried down the ladder without a glance back. I shook my head. _She has work to do. This was only ever a quick fuck. _I wished I could believe myself. At least I had enjoyed it since it was the last time. I sighed aloud and scrubbed the heels of my hands over my eyes before getting dressed and heading down the ladder. "I'll take care of everything in here," Bella called from the tack room. "Why don't you go enjoy the ranch with Alice and Jasper?"

"You sure?" She peeked around the corner and smiled at me.

"I'm sure. Go."

I reluctantly walked out of the stables. I could hear the ATV to my left so I followed the sound. I found Alice and Jasper with the sheep. Alice was petting a small lamb. That would be just like my sister to find the cutest, smallest animal and turn it into a pet. As I walked closer, I could hear Alice trying to convince Jasper to either buy the animal or get her her own once we returned to Dallas. I had always pictured Alice with a bunch of pet, not cats and dogs but birds, ferrets, and some small farm animals. It was an adorable sight.

"Edward!" Alice smiled and waved. "Tell Jasper I need my own Dolly."

"Ali, baby," Jasper said. "I don't think a lamb would be an appropriate animal for your apartment building."

"Then we should move. There's a lot of places to live down here."

"Alice," I said, "we'll get you a cat when we get back." She pouted but was distracted when the lamb nuzzled her face.

"She'll come around." I looked at Alice who was looking at me. "She just needs to work through some things."

"What are you talking about?" She stood up and walked to the ATV.

"Let's go see more animals." Jasper looked over at me and shrugged. "Do you want to come?" Alice was looking at me.

"No." Jasper got on the ATV behind Alice. "I'll be inside."

They drove off to who knows where, and I went back in the house. I pulled out my laptop to do some work and lost track of time. Soon, Bella was calling for dinner. There wasn't much conversation around the table. Rosalie had fixed the car so we'd be leaving in the morning. Even over this short time, we'd all come to get along and become as good of friends as a day and a half would allow. The rain had started again setting a somber tone to the evening. I wanted to talk to Bella, to see how she felt about earlier, but she disappeared into that room early to sleep.

The next morning Bella wasn't anywhere around that I could find. We packed and were ready to go at 8:30. Bella came out of the stables and explained that she was saddling Artax. Emmett swore when he heard her say that. I looked at him curiously, but he was focused on his goodbye with Rosalie. I walked over to Bella, but she wouldn't meet my eye.

"Bella," I said quietly. "Please look at me." She slowly brought her eyes to mine. I felt my chest tighten at what I saw. Her eyes were so sad and downtrodden. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and she was leaning away from me. "I'm going to miss you." I told her the truth, not wanting her to think she was nobody to me.

"Sure you will," she dismissed my statement. "You'll go back to Dallas, find a girl that can be there for you that can make you a priority, and forget about this." I started to protest, but she interrupted me. "It's okay, Edward. I knew goin' into this that I was only gonna be a quick fuck, and I'm okay with that. It was fun while it lasted." She smiled before leaning forward and kissing my cheek. "Have a great trip."

"Bella-"

"Don't. Just go. It's easier this way. I promise. Goodbye, Edward." I wanted to protest, to say something, but I couldn't.

"Bye."

I turned and got into the driver's seat. Jasper and Alice were in the backseat having already said goodbye. Rose got into the front seat, and I pulled away from the house. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Bella lean into Emmett. She wasn't just a quick fuck. I felt more than that. I felt something for her. I didn't want to leave it the way we had. I needed to tell her she meant something. I needed to tell her I didn't want to leave her and this weekend in the past. I wanted something more. As I slammed on the breaks, Rose grabbed my arm and said, "Wait!"

* * *

**AN: Here's the second installment. There're two more after this. The next one is from Jasper's POV. The last will be sort of an epilogue. I have a question for you. Do you want the epilogue to be one, two, five, or ten years later? Let me know in a review. Whichever gets the most votes, I'll write.**

**So, this is a different Bella than what I'm accustomed to writing. I hope you liked it. I haven't even started on the next installment so I can't send you a sneak peek, but I will respond to your review. Can't wait to hear from y'all.**


	3. Precious Time

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**_Precious Time_**

I pulled Alice closer into my side when I saw her getting tired. We had been on the road for so long, and if Rosalie was to be trusted with a map, we still had a few hours to go. We were on our way to Big Bend National Park for a five-day getaway before things got hectic in Dallas. We had just moved to the city the previous week and decided to take a vacation to get prepared for the new adventure.

"It's time," Alice said quietly so that only I could hear.

"It's time for what, Ali Kat?" I asked.

The car sputtered and started to slow. Edward cursed and grumbled while Rosalie egged him on. I rolled my eyes. They often acted more like siblings than Rose and I did. He pulled to the side of the road, and Alice sat up with an excited gleam in her eye. We all got out of the car, and Rose moved to check the problem. I went to take a look as well, while Edward pulled Alice towards the passenger side. He was so protective of his sister.

Rosalie hit the frame and cursed. I saw the problem just seconds later, fuel injector. She ranted and raved for a minute before returning to the hood and trying to figure out if she could fix it. I stood up once the heat of the engine started to make me sweat. Texas heat was like no heat I'd encountered before. Add to that the heat from the engine, and it was almost unbearable. I noticed a truck down the road when I stood up. He pulled to the shoulder in front of us and parked. I pulled Rose behind me just to be safe before a very tall man stepped out of the cab of the truck.

He would have been intimidating, but he smiled. It was disarming and showed he was just a big kid. He flirted with Rosalie, and she flirted back. I tried to keep her behind me just in case, but she was the more forceful twin. She stepped forward and thanked him for offering us a place to stay since we wouldn't be able to do anything with the car before the storm arrived. We had been trying to beat it to Big Bend.

Emmett Swan cleared a spot for us in his truck. Edward and I took the front seat and made the girls sit in the back. I didn't want Emmett's hands anywhere near Rosalie or Alice. He said his place was about twenty miles away. Once we hit that mileage, he pulled onto a dirt driveway. He had to unlock and relock a gate and explained he lived on a ranch. I looked back at Alice, and she smiled a knowing smile.

"How big is this place?" Alice asked.

"We've got 983 acres," Emmett answered. "We're a cattle ranch mainly, but Bella likes horses so we got a few of those. She's also got an assortment of farm animals. She sees 'em more as pets though."

I knew Alice would love exploring this place and seeing all the animals. I had told her about how I wanted to own a ranch one day, and she seemed to love the idea. She said she would have so many pets for her and the kids to play with. If I were most guys, hearing her say that after six months of dating would send me running, but I always knew she was the one. Picturing our future was never scary.

Soon, the house and other buildings came into view. My jaw dropped at how big this place was. We pulled behind what looked like the stable where someone was unloading hay bales. I expected to see Emmett's little sister come running out of the house to greet him, but this woman was the only person in sight. We got out of the truck, and before Emmett could say anything, he was addressed.

"Emmett Dean Swan," the woman said without turning around. I knew immediately it was his sister, and I knew by the tone of her voice he was about to be reamed. His little sister wasn't so little, and she was about to make that known. We listened as she told him of her day. She was mad, there was no doubt about that, but under it all, she was worried. I could tell by the slight quiver in her voice and the slumped shoulders. She had been tense while he was gone. Of course, she dismissed it when he alluded to her worry.

Then Rosalie had to open her big mouth and scare the girl. She fell, but landed safely on a hay bale. She was embarrassed I could tell by the flush in her cheeks and the fact she wouldn't meet our eyes. She took us into the house to show us where we'd be staying. She showed us to the guest room where Alice and I would stay. We thanked her and stepped inside to put our things away.

"Isn't it great here, Jazzy?" Alice asked. I placed both our bags at the end of the bed and patted the side pocket of mine to make sure it was still there.

"It is nice," I answered. I stretched out on the bed with an arm propped behind my head. Alice laid down with her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her. "I love the smell. It's pure nature."

"This is the place." I looked down, but she wasn't looking at me.

"What place?"

"This is the place, the place we'll settle. You remember the conversation we had when unpacking?" I did know what conversation she was talking about. It'd been in my mind since we had it.

*****

_I sat another box down and returned to the truck for more. This move to Dallas from Seattle was long and tiring. Add to the fact that it was four people moving and things compounded exponentially. I was helping Alice unload her things into the apartment she was sharing with her brother. We had already unloaded Edward's stuff. He was in his room unpacking. I brought in the last box and set it in the living room. Alice was in the doorway of the kitchen. I watched as her eyes glazed over and face fell slack._

"_What is it, sweetheart?" I asked once she came back in focused._

"_We shouldn't get too attached to Dallas," Alice said as I helped her unload the two boxes labeled 'Kitchen.' It was our third day here, and now she had me worried. I really wanted this. I had plans, and they would be best accomplished in Texas._

"_What do you mean, Ali Kat?" I asked._

"_We won't be here long."_

*****

"Are you sure?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yep," she said. "Bella and I are going to be great friends. Rose is going to start designing, Edward is already set to work from home, and you'll get the best of both worlds."

"What about you?" I leaned down to kiss her head.

"I already hired someone to take over the store." She sure did think of everything. I rolled onto my side and hugged her to me.

"How long?"

"Not long." She sat up quickly. "Let's go see what everyone's up to."

She scooted off the bed and waited anxiously for me to join her. I smiled at the sight. What I ever did to deserve her I'll never know, but I sure as hell appreciate it. I grabbed her hand, and we walked out into the living room. Once Rosalie joined, she asked what we were going to do. I suggested we help Emmett and Bella since they were being so kind. Edward and I were the only ones that went.

I was excited to get to do something. I'd been doing a lot of research on ranches after working with the equestrian team at Columbia. My sophomore year, I decided I wanted a ranch of my own. We all moved back to Seattle, which was a good thing; it really was. It just wasn't what I wanted. I told Alice about my plans when we first moved back from college, and she suggested we move to Texas. 'It's where we're supposed to be,' she said. So, I was the one to make the suggestion, and everyone was on board.

This was my chance to get some practical, hands-on experience. Bella only let us water and feed the horses, but I didn't mind. I could tell she was protective of them. Emmett had told us the stable was her domain. I got the feeling that each horse had a back-story, and she had a strong bond with each. I did as she told me while she showed Edward what to do. I was watering the stall next to where Edward was standing when Bella walked up to the horse. She said it was her dad's. I could hear the emotion in her voice, how much she missed him. She left before either of us could say anything.

Emmett called for us to all go inside. We ran to the porch, and Edward asked about Bella when she wasn't behind us. Emmett said she was tucking the horses in. I went to the bedroom to change and put the wet clothes in the bathroom to dry. We all went back to the living room to visit while Bella cooked dinner. Eventually, Edward and Alice went to the kitchen to visit with Bella while the rest of us watched the game. I knew the Cowboys won, but I still wanted to watch the game.

Dinner was wonderful. Bella was a great cook. Unfortunately, there was a power outage as Bella was doing dishes. Emmett gave everyone flashlights then explained that he and Bella needed to go to bed. Ranch work, I had learned, was not a 9-5 job. It started early, and going to bed at 8:30 was not early for them. I knew I'd be able to do it someday; someday soon according to Alice.

My eyes had since adjusted to the dark, so I could make out dimly what was around me. Bella hugged everyone goodnight, and I tried to stifle my smile when she pinched Edward on the ass. Alice must have seen it because she covered her mouth and giggled. That was going to be interesting. I pulled Alice into the guest room, and we changed into pajamas.

"I'm guessing you saw Bella?" I asked causing her to giggle.

"Edward's going to have his hands full with her," Alice said. "She's the female version of him."

"The old him, he would say."

"He decided to change his ways at just the right time. She's exactly what he needs. You should have seen them while she was cooking. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He was asking all sorts of questions; little things like her favorite color, favorite band, etcetera, etcetera.

"Then she asked him about his job, and she lit up. It was the cutest thing. At one point, she quit cooking and just watched in fascination as he talked. I swear they forgot I was even in the room." She crawled into bed and threw the covers back on the other side for me. I finished putting our dirty clothes away then scooted into the cool, crisp sheets. Alice snuggled up to my side and curled her body around mine. I took a deep breath and could smell the rain. It was intense and soothing. "Rose and Emmett are going to be great together."

"They are?"

"Yep. They're great for each other, and Emmett's going to be helping her with the designing. I saw them working on something for a national competition. I don't know what it was called, but they're going to do great. Things will run smoothly for those two."

"Will they not for Edward and Bella?"

"If Edward doesn't change his course, it's going to be a bumpy ride." I stayed silent and absorbed what she was saying. Our lives were so irrevocably changed it sounded. I was looking forward to seeing where everything went.

"Do you like it here?" I knew she said this was the place, but I wanted to make sure she'd be happy.

"I love it. It's so big and open. I can't wait till we're here." I turned to my side, and she did the same, scooting until her back was to my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her neck. She shivered, and I smiled at her reaction.

"Where's here exactly? Is it close by?" She nodded. "How close?"

"It'll be on the edge of this ranch. I can see the house. It's two stories with four bedrooms and two and a half baths. The kitchen's smaller than this one, but the dining table is in the kitchen too. You should see it, Jasper. It's beautiful. Our bedroom is downstairs, and all the kids are upstairs." I loved when she talked about our future. It always made me anxious to be there. I ran my fingertip over her bare ring finger.

"How many kids?" She giggled.

"Jazzy, we've already had this conversation."

"I know, but I want to hear it again." I pulled her shirt up and started drawing imaginary designs on her stomach; the stomach that would one day hold these children.

"We'll have three kids. First, we'll have a little boy, then we'll have twins, one boy and one girl. They'll only be about a year apart." I could feel myself growing hard thinking about Alice round with our child.

"What's our ranch going to be like?" I trailed my hand higher until I was teasing her breasts with feather-light caresses. She moaned before trying to talk.

"Big. You'll have cattle and the cutest little baby cows. I want chickens, sheep that have tiny lambs, a few horses, and maybe a goat named Billy." I ran my thumb over her peaks and could feel them start to pucker. I kissed her neck again, and she shifted her ass back into my erection. "You'll be such a hard worker. You'll get up early to take care of the animals, and I'll take care of the kids. I'll make you lunch, and you'll play with the kids for a little while after you eat. Once they're old enough, they'll want to help you. So, you'll show them what to do."

"Then what?" I pulled her to lie on her back and pulled her shirt over her head. I continued to palm her breasts as I placed open mouth kisses all over her neck.

"_Ungh._ Then you'll come home after a hard day's work. We'll put the kids to bed, and then I'll help you relieve the tension." I moved down and kissed the sides of her breast.

Her hand found its way into my hair, and she pulled me to where she wanted me. I kissed her luscious lips slowly, almost languidly. There really was nothing better than kissing her. The sex was great, don't get me wrong. Her kisses, though, felt like love, safety, and home all-in-one. She told me once that kissing me felt like I was telling her I loved her without needing words. The action meant more to her than the words ever could.

"I love you," I said as I pulled back. While she might not need the words, I needed to say them. She smiled at me and returned the sentiment.

"I love you, too," she said as she placed a hand over my heart. "Show me, Jasper. Love me." I smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

I kissed her slowly, in no rush to end this soon. She rubbed my chest. I hadn't worn a shirt to bed, so there was no barrier. I loved feeling her skin to mine. It always made me feel connected to her in the simplest ways. I trailed my hand over her stomach and down towards her underwear. I hooked a finger in the waistband and worked them slowly down her legs. Once they were off, I tossed them on the floor with her shirt.

I continued to kiss her as I stroked her thighs. She pulled her legs apart urging me to go higher, so I did. I ran my fingertips over the area where her hip and leg joined. She squirmed under the teasing touches. I moved my hand to run my fingers through her dark lower curls. She sighed at the touch and arched her hips trying to get closer. I ran one finger down between her lips. She shuddered and moaned softly. Alice was a quiet love maker, so any sounds she made I cherished.

She was already so wet, so ready. I pushed in one finger; her breath left her heavily. I moved in and out of her slowly. I wanted to bring her a slow pleasure. I then inserted another finger. I could feel her walls trying to hold me in. She finally pulled away when her need to breathe was imperative.

"Another," I heard her whisper. I slid in a third finger, and her hips started to rock in time with my hand. The hand in my hair tightened when I curled my fingers. I could feel her walls flutter and knew she was close. She grabbed my wrist and stilled me. "I want you, Jazzy. I need you. I need to be connected to you."

I pulled out of her, and she whimpered. The sound went straight to my cock, and I could feel myself throb. She sat up and tugged at my boxers. I laid down and lifted my hips so she could discard them. She wrapped her hand around my shaft and slowly started pumping me. I groaned at the sensation.

"How do you want me, baby?" I asked.

"Hold me," she whispered. "I need to feel you close to me."

I sat up and pulled her into a kiss. I urged her to follow me with a hand on her back as I scooted towards the head of the bed. I leaned against to headboard and pulled her onto my lap. She straddled my legs, and I kissed her again. She lifted up and positioned me at her entrance. She lowered herself slowly, taking me in. I loved taking my time with her, focusing on the feeling, savoring every sound, twitch, and movement of her body. I closed my eyes to focus on the sensation of her trusting me this completely.

She stilled when I was fully sheathed. In this position, her face was almost even with mine. I could feel her warm breath as she panted. I leaned my forehead against hers and looked her in the eye. I wrapped my arms around her and cradled her body to mine. The action caused me to slip deeper within her, and I groaned at the feeling. I kept my eyes on her and could see it all. Our future. The house. The ranch. The animals. The kids. Her. Always her. Only ever her.

She lifted herself then lowered back onto me. I could feel every inch of her as she moved over me. Her thighs gripped mine how she gripped my heart. Her chest covered mine how her love covered me. Her eyes showed me the future. Her arms around my shoulders grounded me in the moment. I couldn't pull my eyes from hers even if I wanted to. She captivated me, she always had. I pulled her tighter against me not feeling like I could get close enough.

She sped up her movements. I loved the sounds of our bodies joining, the unspoken language that defined us. The slap of skin-to-skin spoke of our oneness, our need for each other. Our mingling, shared breaths spoke of our reliance of the other for life. The thrumming of our hearts spoke of the calling we felt for one another. I felt her walls flutter telling me she was close. I shifted my hips up to meet her down strokes. She whimpered at the sensation. I slowly slid my hand down her silky smooth back and around to where we were joined.

I lightly rubbed that magical nub and watched in fascination as her eyes grew heavy. She slipped a hand into my hair and gripped. The slight pain increased the pleasure. I watched as her mouth fell open in a silent chant of my name. I pulled her body closer making it harder to rub her clit, but having her close was more important. I could feel myself coil tighter and redoubled my efforts on her pleasure point. Her breath became short and shallow as her walls contracted.

"Jasper," she barely whispered as her walls clamped down on me. I rubbed her through her climax and released into her once she came down from her high.

"Alice," I said. "Oh god. I love you." I gripped her shoulders and pulled her down on me as tightly as I could as I filled her. I leaned heavily onto the headboard with Alice in my arms her head resting on my chest. I felt spent, blissfully spent.

"I'm tired, baby." I smiled. I loved that she was so blunt. "We need to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a fun day." I pulled her face to mine and kissed her tenderly. She smiled softly and moved from my lap. I sighed as I slipped from her already missing the closeness. She picked up a towel from the side of the bed and cleaned me. I looked at her curiously wondering why there was a towel in here. She shrugged. "I knew we'd need it."

"Of course." I took the towel from her and cleaned her softly wanting her to know how much I cared. She scooted down into the bed and tugged at my hand. I joined her and pulled the covers over us. She snuggled up to me pressing her naked body to mine. "I love you, Alice."

"Love too," she mumbled as she fell to sleep quickly. I watched her for a few minutes before I succumbed to the lull of sleep.

I woke slowly the next morning. The bed was cool, and I couldn't feel Alice anymore. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around for her. She was sitting in a rocking chair by the window watching the rain fall lightly. She was dressed for the day in shorts and a button down top. She looked a bit sad. I didn't like it. I sat up and retrieved a pair of boxers. She looked over when she heard me stir and smiled.

"What are you doing up and ready, honey?" I asked.

"I was having trouble sleeping," she sighed. "I saw that Edward's going to make a few bad choices, and I'm trying to figure out how to fix it." I finished pulling my pants on and walked over to her. I pulled her up from the chair and hugged her.

"Edward's a grown man. You have to let him make his own decisions, even the bad ones."

"But Bella needs him, and he needs Bella.

"If things are meant to work out, they will. You know this." She hugged me back.

"I know. I'm just being impatient." I chuckled.

"Let's head out and see what everyone's up to."

The living room was empty, but everyone joined us quickly. Edward explained that Emmett and Bella were up and working before 6:00. Once everyone had coffee we went outside to see what the plan was. Emmett and Rosalie left to get the car alone. I didn't even get to protest. Edward and I were going to water and feed the horses to help out. Alice offered to help as long as she wouldn't get attacked. Bella took her to feed the chickens and sheep. I knew she'd love it.

I told Edward I was thinking of starting my own ranch while we were working. I could see he was surprised. Why wouldn't he be? I'd never mentioned it before. I didn't like to talk about things that weren't mostly planned out. Ali had seen it though, and that was enough for me. It would happen when the time was right. I thought about the ranch and the house Ali had talked about. Bella interrupted my thoughts when she asked me if I knew what barrel racing was. I had seen it at Columbia. I went and got Alice when she said she'd show us.

The rest of the day passed without much incident. Bella made another wonderful meal for lunch. Emmett got an ATV for Alice and I to use while exploring the ranch. Alice took me to see the sheep first. There was a lamb she had fallen in love with while feeding the animals before lunch. She wanted to show me Dolly. I told her she couldn't name animals that weren't hers, but she wouldn't listen. She took me to see the chickens and goats, but we eventually ended up back with the lamb. Edward came out to join us later in the day. Alice tried to get him to convince me she needed her own lamb.

"Alice," Edward said, "we'll get you a cat when we get back." She pouted but was distracted when the lamb nuzzled her face.

"She'll come around," Alice said while she looked at Edward. "She just needs to work through some things."

"What are you talking about?" She stood up and walked to the ATV.

"Let's go see more animals." I looked over at Edward and shrugged. I knew she was talking about Bella, but he needed to figure that out on his own. "Do you want to come?" Alice was looking at Edward.

"No." I got on the ATV behind Alice. "I'll be inside."

She started driving away from the buildings. She drove around aimlessly for a long time. We were able to see some of the cattle, but we didn't go near them. We didn't want to startle them. When we returned Bella was calling for dinner. We ate mostly in silence. Rosalie had fixed the car. We would be leaving in the morning. Bella seemed dejected and heavy hearted. She barely ate, just pushing her food around her plate. Edward didn't seem to be in much better shape. He probably only ate two or three bites.

As soon as the dishes were clean, Bella hurried into the back room. Edward took a step in the direction she went but stopped and shook his head before going to the living room. I wondered if this is the mistake Alice had referred to. Maybe he should have gone after her. I looked over to Alice. She was staring in Edward's direction shaking her head. I pulled her to me and walked to our room. She gathered her things for a shower and left the room silently. I took my own shower after her. She didn't talk much, just changed into her night shirt and crawled into the bed.

"It'll be okay," I said once I joined her and she wrapped herself around me.

"I hope you're right," she answered. "He's only got a few chances left." She burrowed her face into my neck and fell asleep quickly.

I woke the next morning before Alice. I slipped from the bed quietly and dressed before packing our things. I opened the side pocket and tucked it into my pocket. At 7:30, Alice was still asleep. I knew she'd need some time to get ready. I sat down next to her and rubbed her arm to rouse her. She rolled over and laid her head on my leg. I knew she was awake. She liked to cuddle in the mornings. I rubbed her back as she slowly woke completely.

"Good morning," I said. She sighed before stretching.

"Morning," she said in a sleepy voice.

"I've packed everything. All you need to do is get dressed."

"Okay. I'm up." She sat up quickly and bounced from the bed. I was sometimes jealous of how quickly she could start her day.

I stripped the sheets and bundled them at the foot of the bed. Alice dressed, and we took our bags into the living room. Edward was sitting on the couch with his packed bag lying by the door. Rosalie emerged from Bella's room with her bag as well. After sitting in silence for five minutes, I cautiously asked if everyone was ready to go. Rosalie opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut and nodded her head tersely. Edward just shrugged.

"We should go say goodbye then," Alice said almost reluctantly.

We walked outside and were saying goodbye to Emmett. Bella eventually came out of the stables but stood back and watched our interaction. She was calm on the outside, but her eyes told it all. She looked hurt, sad, and vulnerable. She said she was saddling Artax. When Emmett heard the name he cursed. I wondered what that horse meant. Alice hugged Bella and Emmett. I shook their hands. We got in the car to wait for Edward and Rosalie.

"He can't get in this car," Alice said. Edward got in and shut the door. "You can't just leave."

"Not now, Alice," Edward said on a sigh.

"It's a mistake."

"Honey," I said. "Let him make his own decisions." She sat back with a huff and crossed her arms.

Rosalie got in, and Emmett closed her door for her. Edward pulled away and we started for Big Bend. Everyone was quiet. Edward had a death grip on the steering wheel, Rosalie kept watching the side mirror, and Alice was stewing. Just before we reached the first bend in the driveway, Alice sat up with a smile. Edward hit the brakes as Rosalie grabbed his arm and told him to wait.

"I can't-" Edward started, but Rosalie cut him off.

"Me neither."

"I have to-"

"I know."

"Are you-"

"Yes. Go." Edward turned the car around, and we stopped in front of a smiling Emmett. Rosalie got out of the car quickly and ran to him. The rest of us got out of the car too. He caught her and lifted her off the ground as he kissed her. "I can't leave. I'm not supposed to. I can't explain it."

"Letting you get in that car could have been the biggest mistake of my life," Emmett said.

"Emmett," Edward said. "Where's Bella?" Emmett let Rosalie slide down before scratching the back of his neck.

"She took Artax."

"What does that mean?"

"He's our jumper." Edward moved his hands in a 'continue' motion. "She does this sometimes when she needs some time alone."

"Does what?"

"Leaves. She packs a bag, takes Artax, jumps the property line, and spends a few days away." Edward let a few expletives fly. "All we can do is wait. Why don't you pull the car into the shop? Come inside, and we'll talk, figure out what we're going to do, and wait for Bella to come back."

"Leaves? Jumps the property line? Is that even safe? There's no telling what's out there. Will she be okay?" Emmett watched Edward freak out with an amused look on his face.

"Bella's lived here her whole life. She knows what she's doin'."

"Fine." He got back in the car, and Emmett opened a bay door for him to enter. We all went inside and sat in the living room. It was an awkward situation, but it strangely felt right. We didn't talk for about five minutes, trying to figure out where to go from here.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do," Rosalie said quietly.

"Me neither," Emmett said. "Dallas is pretty far."

"There's the phone," I said. "Computers, web cams, etcetera. This isn't a doomed thing." We heard the kitchen door open, and Edward shot up.

"I'm only grabbing some matches," we heard Bella say. We heard her opening drawers and slamming then shut. "I'll see you in a few days."

"Wait!" Edward yelled and jogged to the kitchen.

"Jasper and I are going to go explore and give you two, and Edward and Bella, some time to talk," Alice said. She pulled me up and outside. I wondered where we'd go, but I should have known she'd take us to the sheep. "I was nervous for a minute. I thought he wasn't going to stop."

"He did, though," I said.

"I know." I watched as the lamb walked over to Alice. She'd already made a pet out of it.

"How long do I have at SMU?" I had been wondering how much longer I'd have teaching.

"Two semesters. You'll start writing in a few months." That wasn't much time, but I felt at peace with it. I never thought I'd be starting a ranch so soon, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I was. There was only one thing that needed to be done before we were here.

"Alice, I need to ask you something."

"Yes." She looked up at me with a brilliant smile. I chuckled at her.

"I didn't even get to ask."

"Yes. I said yes. That's all that matters." I pulled the box out of my pocket and opened it for her to see. I had spent weeks looking for a ring. There were so many, but I finally settled on a traditional solitaire, one carat diamond in a platinum band. Alice didn't like yellow gold. I took it from the box and slid it onto her slightly shaking finger. I looked up, and she gave me a watery smile. "It's perfect."

"You're perfect." I pulled her to me for a slow, sweet kiss. She pulled back suddenly, and I worried something was wrong.

"I have so much to do. Nine months isn't a long time when trying to plan a wedding."

"Nine months, huh?"

"Yep. That way we can use the week of Spring Break for the honeymoon." I pulled her to the front porch and sat us on the swing.

"You had to have seen this coming. Haven't you been planning?" She smiled at me sheepishly.

"That's beside the point. These things take precious time."

* * *

**AN: I hope you enjoyed Jasper's take on the meeting. I'm currently working on the epilogue. I've decided to do three of them. They'll be one, two, and five years later from Alice, Rosalie, and Bella's POV. So far, the plan is to have them as one document. If they turn out to be too long, I'll separate them. Review, and let me know what you think. Do you have any guesses as to how long before everyone ends up at the ranch or if everyone ends up at the ranch? I'd love to hear your guesses.**


	4. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**Epilogue**_

**One Year Later-Alice's POV**

I carried a box into the house and put it in the office/drawing room. Jasper was with Emmett riding the perimeter. Rosalie was helping me unpack while Jasper was setting up the finishing touches on our ranch. Our ranch. I told him it wouldn't be long. He started writing his book three months after our vacation. Nine months after that and he was close to sending it to the editor. It would be a quick process. I couldn't wait to buy the first copy.

"Al!" I heard Rosalie yell from upstairs. "What room do you want the photo albums in?"

"First door on your right," I yelled back.

That room would be the last one we used. The house was exactly as I had pictured it. Apparently, Charlie had sectioned off 100 acres on the west and 100 acres on the east to give to Emmett and Bella when they were grown. He had houses built on both properties. This part, the 'west hundred' as Emmett called it, was meant to be his. Since Charlie's passing, Emmett had decided to stay on the main ranch. Jasper mentioned wanting to own a ranch to Emmett and he offered to sell it to us. Jasper couldn't have been happier.

"What next?" Rosalie asked from the doorway. I stopped unpacking the box and turned to her.

"The boys should be coming in for lunch soon," I said after checking the clock on the wall. "Why don't we head to the main house and fix something to eat?" Everyone had been referring to Emmett, Rosalie, and Bella's house as the main house.

"I just went to the store two days ago. I should be able to find something to cook up." We went out to Rosalie's Ford Ranger to drive to the house.

I never would have pictured Rosalie in a truck, but she bought it a month after she moved down here. She and Emmett had quickly grown close. I knew they fell in love that first weekend. They tried having a long distance relationship, but it didn't work. They needed to be near each other. So, four months to the day from meeting, Rosalie packed up everything and moved to the ranch. Two months later, they had a beautiful New Year's wedding. Bella was still living with them. She couldn't bring herself to live in the house Charlie built for her yet.

The wedding was great for not having much prep time. She called me the day he proposed, two weeks after she moved in, and we immediately got to work. I designed the wedding dress and flew down three times to do a fitting. The whole ceremony was designed around the dress. I had put a lily design in the dress. There was flowers a plenty around the area. She wore her hair in a low chignon with a lily inside. She was beautiful. They married at the Pecos County Municipal Golf Course then spent five days honeymooning in Cancun. Edward stayed with Bella those five days.

She and Edward were making the long distance relationship work. They definitely had bumps and twists in the road. Both were bull-headed and overly stubborn. Bella had an independent streak a mile wide. They didn't like to compromise and always thought they were right. They really were carbon copies of each other. I think Bella had aged Edward by a decade already.

Edward had fallen fast and hard while Bella crept along. She saw only her mother and father's relationship growing up, and it had scared her. She didn't want to marry, just to have it end within a few years. She said she'd never need anyone, that she learned to need only herself so she'd never be disappointed. It often causing tension between the two, because all Edward wanted to do was take care of her. When he got 'too clingy' or 'started to hover' as Bella put it, she'd take off for a few days.

He worried so much about Bella when she went on her 'reckless trips' as he called her overnight camping adventures. Those were always a tense time. I watched as he paced a hole in the floor on those days she left the house. She would always call and let him know she would be out of contact. They spoke every day, sometimes multiple times a day. If she had been out of contact and Edward didn't know why, all hell would break loose.

The first time it happened was three months after they met. Bella decided to leave for a two or three day trip. She packed her things, saddled a horse, and took off. She didn't tell anyone. She never had to in the past. If Artax was gone, they knew she would be gone for a few days. Edward had called her that morning, but she didn't answer. He called the house, and Jack, the ranch foreman, answered the phone and told Edward she'd be gone for a few days. He blew a gasket. No one knew where she was, if she was okay, or when she'd be back. That was unacceptable.

By sundown, Edward was at the ranch. He argued with Emmett trying to convince him they needed to look for her, but there really was no way to search for her. She could have been anywhere on or off the property. He took the Suzuki and searched for her for two days on the property. On the third day, she strolled into the house as if nothing was wrong. Thus ensued what Emmett called the fight of the century. I wasn't there so I couldn't say, but everyone on the ranch heard it. Eventually, Bella agreed she'd let him know when she went on one but refused to stop them or take someone with her. See, stubborn and independent.

She assured Edward nothing would happened. She'd been doing it for years after all. She hadn't had an incident yet. Yet being the operative word. A month ago, Bella had gone for another camping trip. She told Edward she'd be gone for two days. At the end of the third day, Edward went back to the ranch. On the morning of the fourth day, Artax came trotting into the stable. Bella wasn't with him. Jasper and I came down and joined the search. On the fifth day around noon, she was found two properties over about ten miles.

She was dehydrated, sunburnt, and raving mad. She said she had unsaddled Artax and set up camp. A pack of coyotes came close to camp and scared Artax. He took off. She gathered only the essentials and started hiking home. She kicked and screamed the whole way to the Ft. Stockton hospital. She was livid that we took her, claiming she was fine.

We all went to get dinner in the cafeteria while Edward stayed with her. I bought her food, and took it up to her room before we went to Walter and Nancy's for the night. I found her sobbing into Edward's chest. The events had finally caught up with her.

Edward took me with him to shop for a ring a week later. The incident scared him. He had decided he was 'done with the distance shit.' He was ready to be with her. He planned a trip to Italy, the one place Bella talked about visiting, and took her for a week vacation. They were supposed to be back sometime today. I just knew she'd walk in with a ring on her finger. We pulled up to the house where the Volvo was parked. Bella swung the front door open with a big smile on her face.

"Alice! Rosalie!" she said as she bounded down the steps. She gave us a big hug. "I'm so glad to be home. I missed you two."

"We missed you too," I said. She pulled back and was glowing. "Did you have fun?"

"It was…wonderful. There aren't words. I loved it. It was better than I imagined." She dropped her hands from our shoulders and pulled us into the house. "Where're the boys?"

"They're riding the perimeter. They'll be here soon for lunch. We were going to fix something," Rosalie said as we all walked to the kitchen.

"I can help." Bella and Rosalie started pulling things from the refrigerator.

"Love, when do you want-" Edward said, but stopped when he saw us and smiled. "Hey, lil sis." He pulled me into a hug. "Hello, Rosalie." He hugged her as well. They're relationship had stabilized a bit since Emmett and Bella entered the picture. "How have you two been? How's the unpacking going?"

"Slow. I don't know how we acquired so much stuff," I answered. "The living room, kitchen, and bathrooms are unpacked. I need to work on the office and kids' rooms." He raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not pregnant. Yet." Bella giggled and rubbed his back.

"What's the problem, baby?" she asked. "Not ready to be an uncle?" He just shook his head no. We all laughed.

"I'm going to unpack," Edward said and left the room.

"Tell me what I missed."

We spent the next twenty minutes talking and making lunch. Bella told us all about her vacation and the things she'd seen. It was her first overseas trip. Ever since she and Edward began dating, he took her on trips all over the country. He wanted to show her everything, show her the world. I hinted at him proposing, but she shut me down and changed the subject quickly. I let her maneuver away from the topic.

"What else did I miss?" Bella asked. "I feel like I've been gone forever."

"Emmett and I decided to start trying for a baby," Rosalie blurted out. Bella and I both stopped what we were doing and looked at her.

"What?"

"We decided to start trying for a baby. We think it's a good time, and I really want to be a mom."

"Rose, that's great!" Bella pulled her into a hug. She was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"She's right. It's great. I can't wait to be an aunt," I said. We were all close enough that I might as well be an aunt.

"Thank you," Rose said. "I was so worried what you'd think, Bella. We're going to turn the guest room into a nursery. Emmett wants to build the furniture."

"Why would ya worry 'bout me?" Bella asked.

"I don't want you to think we're trying to push you out of the house. We love having you here."

"I know y'all aren't pushin'. No worries." She started pulling plates out of the cabinet. "You won't actually have to worry about me after this week." Rosalie put down the food and turned Bella to look at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll be moving out at the end of the week."

"Are you sure you want to do that? I know you don't want to live in the house yet."

"Ummm…I won't be movin; into the house. Edward and I are gonna live together…in Dallas." I didn't see that coming, but it seemed like something Edward would ask.

"Bella! That's great! Congratulations!" Rose was hugging her and bouncing around. I hugged her too. "Edward!" She yelled for him and he came back to the kitchen. "You sly dog. You took her all the way to Italy to ask her to move in with you. She couldn't have said no then."

"Yeah, something like that," he said before leaving the room. He didn't look completely happy.

"Why did he look sad?" I asked Bella. She bit her bottom lip.

"He proposed. Moving to Dallas was a compromise," she whispered.

"Bella-"

"Don't start Alice. This is gonna be a good thing. It'll tell us if we can actually make it. The last year's been great, but we didn't see each other much. We like the idea of each other. This'll tell us if we _like_ each other." She was putting off the inevitable, but it wouldn't be Edward and Bella if it was easy.

"I'm happy for you. I really am." She smiled and blushed.

"Thank you."

"Are you moving into the apartment, or will y'all get a different place?"

"The apartment." Her face lit up at the new direction of the conversation. "I'm not gonna take much with me. He wants to go shoppin' to redecorate. I hope I like it, livin' in the city. The longest I've ever been away from the ranch is two weeks when Edward took me to Colorado."

"You're going to love it," Rosalie said. "I'm so happy for you." She hugged her. "Now all you have to do is tell your brother."

"Tell me what?" we heard Emmett say from the kitchen door. I turned around to see him and Jasper wiping their sweaty bodies down. I walked over and jumped into Jasper's arms. He caught me with an amused smirk.

"Hello, darlin'," he said. I loved the new nickname.

"Hello, cowboy," I answered. "How was your ride?"

"It was good. We got a lot of stuff done." I leaned forward to kiss him slowly.

"WHAT?" I pulled back when I heard Emmett yell. Jasper let me slide to the ground, and I turned to watch whatever was about to happen. "Move? Are you sure?" Bella nodded. Edward had wandered in and pulled Bella into his side. "Are you gonna take care of her?"

"Of course. She means everything to me Emmett," Edward said.

"Well…what can I say? It's your life. If this is what you want, I'll support you." Bella pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Bubba," she whispered.

"I've got about an hour and a half before I gotta meet Emmett again," Jasper whispered in my ear as he pulled me back against his chest. I shivered as he nipped at my ear. "Wanna go home and eat there? I was thinking we could christen the kitchen counter. I giggled, which drew everyone's attention.

"We're going back to the house for lunch," I said as I grabbed Jasper's hand and walked through the house. "I need his help with something." Bella and Rosalie winked before we disappeared out the door.

* * *

**Three Years Later-Rosalie's POV**

I sat down at our assigned table at the front of the room. I didn't realize so many people would attend. I expected this to be a small, intimate gathering. I definitely didn't expect _230 people!_ Bella was well known in the NBHA though. The week before she'd secured her third state championship in a row, she won last year's Nationals, after no one expected her to even compete in the State Show, and this year she was aiming for the World Championship. This meant she was very popular, and a lot of people wanted to be at her wedding.

I looked around the barn thinking Alice did a wonderful job decorating. Bella had decided to get married at the ranch. It was a 'typical Southern wedding' as Nancy had said. I had grown close with both her and Walter since I saw them at least every other week. We even invited them down for dinner often. It was a bit of a drive so they weren't able to come a lot, but it was still good to see them when they could. They meant a lot to Emmett and Bella. Walter had even helped Emmett give Bella away.

"Hey pretty momma," I heard Nancy say and had to smile. She had nicknamed Alice 'little momma.' I turned around to see her walking over to me with Savannah on her hip. My four-month-old had everyone wrapped around her finger. I smiled when I saw the tuft of blonde hair with the cute little purple and silver bow Alice had found to match the wedding colors.

"Hi Nancy," I said before turning to my little girl. "Hello, Savannah. Are you having fun with Nancy? Are you being a good girl?"

"She's been an angel. I've been takin' her on the rounds, showin' her off. I wondered for a long time if Emmett would ever settle down. He deserved to find a woman like you. Miss Savannah Rose here is extra, and Miss Carolina Leigh." I looked to the makeshift dance floor where Emmett was dancing with our oldest daughter. "How old is she now?"

"Lina's one year and two months." I smiled at the sight before me. He had her safely in his arms twirling around. She was smiling brightly while he looked at her like she hung the moon. In his eyes, she had.

"I don't know how ya do it." I looked at her curiously. "Ya take care of two lil 'uns, help run the ranch, and keep yer husband happy. Walter's a handful alone." I laughed at her.

"Emmett's easy to please." The man still had a one-track mind, even after two kids. Savannah started to whimper so Nancy handed her off to me and left to find her husband. "Hey baby girl. Did you have fun with Miss Nancy?" She laid her head on my chest and calmed back down. She loved to lay with her ear pressed to my heart. It was exceptionally adorable when she did it with Emmett. She was a small baby, so his hands still seemed to dwarf her.

"How are my girls?" I heard Emmett say. He leaned down to kiss Savannah's head then lingered on my lips before sitting down with me.

"We're wonderful. Savannah's tired. Nancy took her around to show her off. How are you?" He still wasn't completely okay with Edward.

When Bella moved to Dallas, Emmett felt like Edward was taking Bella from him. It didn't help that two months after Bella went to Dallas, she moved back to the ranch but into the house on the east hundred. She wouldn't talk about what had happened, and Edward was as tight-lipped as her. Emmett was convinced Edward had done something. Bella worked the ranch and went home as soon as the day ended. She stayed withdrawn, which caused Emmett's hate for Edward to grow.

Three months after she moved back, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and I went to Washington for Thanksgiving. Bella had promised to go to Nancy and Walter's for the holiday. It was the only reason Emmett agreed to leave her behind. When we arrived at my parents, Edward was already there. The Cullens and Hales did the holiday together. Emmett never spoke to Edward, and Edward never really spoke to anyone. It was the first time we'd seen him since moving Bella. He hadn't come to visit and was always 'out of town' if we wanted to go to Dallas. He looked like shit.

Just before we sat down for the big meal Emmett called Nancy and Walter's to tell everyone 'Happy Thanksgiving.' It soon went south when Nancy told him Bella wasn't there. She had called Nancy to say she would be at the ranch because she wasn't feeling well. He called her house, but she didn't answer, same with her cell phone. I noticed Edward hovering in the doorway while Emmett tried to call his sister.

"Isabella, pick up the phone," Emmett said when her machine picked up for the third time. "Bella, please. I just want to make sure you're okay. Nancy said you weren't feeling well. I need to know you're okay, Bella. Please, pick up the phone." He paused, but she never answered. "Call me when you get this. Please. I'm worried. I love you." Edward walked away before Emmett could see him. She texted as we were sitting down. 'I'm fine.' That's all it said.

As was tradition, we went around the table and everyone said what they were thankful for. Mom and Dad were thankful for the kids, as usual, and that I was two months pregnant. Both couldn't wait to be grandparents. The Cullen parents were thankful for their kids and Alice and Jasper finally getting married. Similar things followed from the rest of us. It was our first Thanksgiving as married couples. When it was Edward's turn, he stood up and left the house.

Alice said to let him be. We dug in to the food and waited for him to return. He didn't. He was gone for three days. We all had to leave for our flight without saying goodbye to him. Alice assured their parents he was fine, and we left. Bella hadn't called over the holiday so Emmett took us to her place first. We pulled into the driveway to find the Volvo parked out front. It took everything I had to keep Emmett from walking inside and kicking his ass.

"I'm okay," he answered pulling me from the memories. "She loves him." It almost sounded defeated.

"That's a good thing, honey," I tried to assure him.

"I just don't want him to hurt her again." I had to bite my tongue. Bella had confided that she ran from Edward. He did everything he could to try to make her stay, but she hated the city and got scared when she realized how much she needed him. "He loves her like I love you. I can see that. I'm just worried. She's my baby sister. She's been through enough what with mom leavin', dad dyin', that bad camping trip, the break up, and the rattlesnake."

I tried not the think about the rattlesnake incident. It was horrible, although one good thing did come of it. It was the catalyst that pushed Edward to propose again. Bella had gone to check on the cattle for Emmett. Carolina was just a month old and needed to go for a doctor's appointment. Emmett didn't want to miss it so Bella offered to take care of his chores for the day. We weren't home when it happened, but Edward told us about it. He had been down visiting.

He was brushing the horses before he watered and fed them. He was watching for Bella when he saw July Heat walking back, but he didn't see Bella. He grabbed a pair of binoculars to check since he was so far away. He saw Bella lying across the saddle. He yelled for Jack, and they took the Suzuki to meet July.

Edward pulled her down off the horse, and he said he'd never been so scared in his life. She was sweating profusely, he could feel she was feverish, breathing shallow, and couldn't stand on her own. She had cut her jeans at the knee on her leg. Her calf was swollen, bruised, and blistered. She had written on her leg 'D-back 1:34p.' He pulled her into the Suzuki and Jack drove them to the hospital. It was two hours before she was treated. The doctor said she'd need to rest for at least a week. Two weeks later she rode in the State show, against Emmett and Edward's protests, and won then went on to win Nationals.

"Things are going to be good from here. She's safe and healthy. She's got Nationals in a couple weeks and hopefully World after that. She's marrying the man she loves, and she's staying on the ranch. What more could you want?"

"Nieces and nephews?" He was smiling as he said it. I'd never seen a man more comfortable with children. He wanted there to be a lot of kids running around the ranch.

"Hello everyone," I heard Alice say as she and Jasper sat down with us. Jasper was holding their sleeping five month old. When Austin Ray was born, Alice said the twins wouldn't be far behind. She still swore she have Austin and a twin boy and girl. We'd see. "How are y'all?"

"We're good," I answered. "It's looks like we both have sleepy kids. How much longer until they leave?" Edward was taking Bella to Rio de Janeiro for their honeymoon.

"Not much longer." At that moment the two newlyweds came over to the table. Edward sat down and pulled Bella into his lap. "Hello you two. How's it going?"

"Fine," Edward huffed as he pulled Bella against him. "Everyone keeps stealing her. When can we leave? I'm ready to have you to myself."

"Not much longer," Bella said as she patted his cheek. "I promise, baby."

"Speaking of babies," Emmett said. "Are you two plannin' on having kids anytime soon? I wouldn't mind Lina and Savannah having some more nieces and nephews."

"Oh!" Alice said. We all looked over at her. "I don't want to take away from your wedding, but we have some news."

"What? Did you decided to open another store? Arenn't five enough." She had a store in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and New York, New York. I wouldn't be surprised if she went overseas soon.

"No." She grabbed Jasper's hand. "We're pregnant." Everyone gave their congratulations. "What about you two? Are there any kids in the near future?" Bella looked at Edward, but it was sad.

"Can I steal ya for a dance Miss Bella?" we heard Walter ask.

"Of course," she said and cleared her throat. She stood up and followed him to the dance floor.

"What was that?" I asked Edward. He was watching Bella with a worried face.

"Bella told the doctor that we wanted to start trying for kids right away. He did a more detailed exam to make sure everything was okay," he said, his eyes never leaving Bella.

"And?" Emmett asked softly. Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We can't. He said there's been too much trauma to her uterus. All the times the horses kicked her in the stomach have created a lot of scar tissue. The egg won't be able to latch onto her wall." I could feel the tears sting my eyes. Since Austin and Savannah were born, Bella was so excited about starting her own family.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," I told him. He smiled at me sadly then looked back at Bella.

"It's okay. I told her she's all I need, and if she really wants kids we can always adopt. Don't say anything to her yet, though. She's still trying to come to terms with everything." The song ended and Bella came back over and sat in his lap. "I'm ready when you are, love." She smiled at him and nodded.

Once they were gone, I carried Savannah and Emmett carried Lina, both who were sleeping, into their rooms. Jasper and Alice had just left to put a sleeping Austin to bed. I changed out of my dress and met Emmett in the living room. I sat down on the couch and curled up to him once he sat down. He pulled the drawings off from the coffee table and put on his glasses. He looked damn sexy in those things and knew it. He was purposely driving me crazy.

"I've been thinking about the console," he started, and I let him temporarily distract me. I looked down at the drawing as he made some changes. "I think the controls need to be a bit smaller and further to the right."

Four months ago, we had decided to start designing cars together. We were working on an all-electric dragster. I had never watched drag racing until I met Emmett. It was something he learned about when at MIT. I loved it immediately. We were working on our first car and expected to start building any month now.

Emmett continued to draw. His glasses would slip down his nose, and he'd unconsciously push them back up. He was still just as sexy as the day we met. I rubbed his thigh as he concentrated on the drawing. He would pause every once in a while and watch my hand. I leaned forward and placed small, chaste kisses over his neck. His breath sped up and hand finally stilled.

"Take me to bed," I whispered in his ear. He stood up and threw me over his shoulder. I giggled as he carried me to our room.

* * *

**Five Years Later-Bella's POV**

I grabbed the doorframe with one hand and my stomach with the other. I hunched over a bit pantin' for breath. I sounded like Southern after a day of trainin'. It hurt, bad. I breathed through the pain hopin' Edward wasn't around to see this. _It's too soon. It's too soon._ I wasn't due for another two months. This had to be Braxton hicks. Once the worst of it passed, I stood up and continued to the livin' room.

"Aunt Bella! Aunt Bella!" I heard the chantin' of my nieces and nephews comin' from the room. I smiled as I entered the living room that had been turned into a fort with many sheets and chairs.

"Lookin' nice," I complimented. Lina, who was now 3 years and two months old, was playing with Delilah and Derek, Alice and Jasper's seventeen-month-old twins. Savannah, who was now 2 years and 4 months, and Austin, just one month older than Savannah, were examinin' the fort and placin' more blankets over the chairs.

"Aunt Bella," Lina said, "can I have juice?"

"Sure sweetie. Have you seen your Uncle Edward?"

I walked into the adjoining bakehouse as she told me he had gone upstairs to find more blankets. I could hear him at the top of the stairs. I poured her glass of juice and turned to walk back into the livin' room. As I turned another pain hit my stomach, but it was more severe. I dropped the glass to clutch at my stomach. I closed my eyes as the glass shattered and the juice covered the floor.

"Bella?" I heard Edward's frantic voice call. I listened to his feet hurry down the stairs. "Bella, what's wrong?" I felt him cup my face. I breathed through the pain and straightened when it passed. "What happened?"

"Nothin'," I answered. "I'm fine." I had to be fine. It was too soon.

"That wasn't nothing. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I think it's just Braxton hicks."

"Why do you say that?" He took my hand in his and placed the other on my back then led me to the table. He sat me down then sat in front of me.

"It's too early to be having contractions. It has to be Braxton hicks. It's too early."

"Is Aunt Bewwa okay?" I heard Austin ask from the doorway.

"Don't walk in the kitchen, buddy," Edward said. "I don't want you to get hurt. Aunt Bella's going to be fine. She just had a little accident. Can you go back into the living room for a minute?" Austin nodded and turned to run back into the living room. "We're going to the hospital." He moved to stand up.

"No. I'm fine. It's too soon." He took my face in his hands to make sure I was looking at him.

"No, Isabella. You are going to the hospital. No arguing. I'm not taking any chances. You know you're not going to carry to term. This is to be expected. Dr. Williams said he's shocked you've made it this far." He stood up and left the room. "Okay, kids. Let's get in the car. We're going for a drive." I heard them all cheer and had to smile before another pain hit me. I leaned forward. It was worse this time. "Okay, love. Let's get you in the van."

"It's too early, Edward. They're too small." He helped me out of the chair and walked me to the door. "Edward, they can't come yet."

"Let's not jump to conclusions. I called Dr. Williams. He's going to meet us at the hospital." He helped me into the front seat and buckled me in before getting' behind the wheel. I picked up the phone to call Emmett and Rosalie. I hoped they wouldn't be mad. We were watching Lina and Savannah so they could go on a date.

"Hello?" Emmett asked.

"Hey, Bubba," I said.

"Hey, Bells. What's up?"

"Can I-" I stopped as the next contraction hit me and took my breath away. I handed the phone to Edward since I couldn't talk.

"Hey Emmett," I heard him say. "We're headed to the hospital. She's having contractions. I've already called Dr. Williams. We just left the house." He paused, because I could hear Emmett freakin' out on the end of the line. It wasn't long before Rose took the phone for him. "Hey, Rose. She's having contractions…Yep. Already did…Yes…Yes…They're all in the back watching a movie…Thanks, I appreciate it…Okay. See ya soon."

"Is Bubba okay?"

"He's fine. Just nervous. Rose is going to call Alice and Jasper for us." They were also on a date tonight.

"I hate that I'm ruining their plans." Edward laughed.

"Don't be ridiculous. They don't mind." I could feel the tears sting my eyes. I wasn't being ridiculous. He looked over when I sniffled. "Love, I didn't mean it," he said tenderly. He reached over and took my hand. "I'm sorry. You're not being ridiculous." I nodded. I hated being so emotional. It wasn't like me at all. He moved his hand to rub my stomach. I leaned back and took a deep breath. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be.

**Three Hours Later**

I was fightin' sleep. My eyes were heavy, my body felt like lead, and I just wanted to sleep. That morphine drip was heaven. Edward came back in the room and perched onto the bed. He reached forward and pushed my hair out of my face. I smiled weakly at him, and he smiled crookedly. I took his hand and tugged until he stretched out beside me gingerly. He pulled my head to lie on his chest and gently placed his hand on my significantly smaller belly.

"You did great today, love," he said. I hummed, not havin' the energy to say anything. "Everyone wants to come in and see you. Is that okay?" I nodded. "Good, because they didn't give me a choice." He chuckled as I heard the door open. I looked over and smiled as they walked in, kids in tow. Lina was holdin' those balloons that said, "It's a boy!" and "It's a girl!"

"Hey Bells," Emmett said as he shifted Savannah to his other hip and grabbed my hand. He had been scared that I was so far away from the hospital. Lina had been two months premature as well, and when they arrived at the hospital Rosalie, like me, had to have an emergency C-section because the baby was in distress. Since I was carryin' more than one baby, the risks had compounded. He was so worried. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm good, sore," I said, my voice weak. "I'm just exhausted." He smiled.

"You'll stay that way for the next few years," Rosalie said. Everyone laughed. Lina was standin' next to her looking at me with wide eyes. Austin was holdin' her hand. He looked scared.

"By the time you got here, everything went really quickly," Jasper said as he rubbed a sleeping Delilah's back. "How long did you wait before you told Edward you were having contractions?"

"She didn't tell me," Edward answered. "She dropped a glass in the kitchen. When I came to see if she was okay she was hunched over clutching her stomach."

"How long Bella?" Alice asked. She bounced Derek lightly when he made sounds like he was wakin' up.

"Hour and a half," I rasped out. "Maybe two." They all rolled their eyes. I looked over at Edward. He looked angry.

"Never do that again," he said. "All it does is cause complications."

"Don't worry. I'm not doing this again. I think we filled our quota on kids."

"Aunt Bewwa?" Austin asked quietly. I looked down at the scared little boy.

"What's up, buddy?"

"Where your tummy go?" We all giggled.

"The babies came out so it's not as big anymore." He nodded his head like he understood, but his eyes were scrunched together.

"Can we see them?" Lina asked.

"Not yet. They're resting. We can see them tomorrow."

"Okay."

The nurses had taken my babies straight to the NICU and said I couldn't see them for 24-hours. I knew that was going to happen, but it still hurt to have them taken away. Edward said he'd take me to see them as soon as the nurse gave me the okay. I couldn't wait to see them. Another wave of exhaustion hit me, and I laid my head back on Edward's chest.

"I think it's time that mom get some sleep," I heard Edward say as I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up Edward wasn't next to me. I looked around the room, but he wasn't there. What was there were a lot of flowers and balloons. I knew they weren't there when I went to sleep. My back was hurtin' so I pushed myself into a sittin' positioned. It took a while to do. I sat back with a deep breath as a nurse walked in.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Melinda. I'll be checkin' on ya today."

"Bella Cullen," I said. "Nice to meet ya." She smiled as she walked over and sat down the chart.

"Let's take a look at your incision and make sure things look good." She lifted the hospital gown and pulled off the gauze. Edward came back in the room and rushed over when he saw the nurse.

"What is it?" he asked. "What wrong?"

"Nothin's wrong. I was just checkin' on mom." I watched as the tension left his shoulders. He was goin' to hover. I could already tell.

"When can I go see them Melinda? How are they?" I asked.

"Give me about an hour, and I'll convince the doc to let ya head up. They're doin' wonderful, so much better than we could have expected. They're lungs are holdin' their own, and they've even gained weight." I smiled and thanked her.

"Where were ya?" I looked over at Edward after she left.

"I was on the phone with mom," he said. "She took the red eye last night and checked into a hotel. She's been dying to come see you and the babies." I smiled. I couldn't wait to see Esme. Over the years she had come to be the mother I never had. I knew she was excited about the babies, especially after the doctor's told us we would never have any all those years ago. "She should be here in about ten minutes." I timed it; it was eight.

"Bella, how are you?" she asked as she rushed into the room. "How are the babies? When can you see them? When can you all go home? How are you?" I giggled at her enthusiasm.

"I'm doin' good," I told her. Carlisle walked in with a smile while shakin' his head.

"Hello, baby girl," Carlisle said as he kissed my forehead. I internally rolled my eyes at the nickname he'd dubbed me with, but I'd heard him call Alice that as well. I guess it was a daughter thing. "Sorry for all the excitement." He was lookin' at his wife when he said it. Esme swatted at him as he picked up the chart to take a look. He couldn't turn off the doctor if he tried.

"I don't mind," I answered with a smile. "Like I said, I'm doin' good. I'm just sore. The babies are okay. They're lungs are good, and they gained some weight already. Melinda, my nurse, said she'd take me to see 'em in an hour, and I'm good." Esme smiled, and Carlisle nodded as he looked through the chart. We all looked up when the door started to open.

"Nana!" Austin yelled and ran to Esme. She picked him up and hugged him with a big smile on her face.

"Pop Pop. Pop Pop," Derek and Delilah were sayin'. Carlisle walked over and took them into his arms. They kissed his cheeks, as he laughed.

"Hi Nana. Hi Pop," Lina said. She may not be theirs biologically, but they never treated them different. Savannah hugged them, but didn't say much. She was a quiet kid.

We spent the next hour catchin' up with Esme and Carlisle and fillin' them in on what had happened since their last visit, which was only five months ago. Edward stayed close to me the whole time, and I appreciated it. He kept me calm when all I wanted to do was go see my kids. It was an hour and a half later that Melinda came back in with a wheelchair. I perked up knowing I was about to get my wish.

"Well, don't we have a crowd," she said with a laugh. "I have some people that wanna see ya."

"Really?" I asked. She laughed and nodded. Edward helped me stand and move to the wheelchair. It was a good thing he was holdin' me, because I could barely hold myself up. "Can they all come? Everyone's been anxious."

"How about ya only bring two? Then we'll rotate 'em around so everyone gets a peek."

"Carlisle? Esme? Y'all wanna see your new grandbabies?" Esme nodded, and I could see tears gather in her eyes. Carlisle grabbed her hand and motioned to the door.

Edward pushed me as we followed Melinda to the NICU. She stopped in front of a big window, and I looked inside. There, in three little incubators, were my tiny little babies. I reached up and grabbed Edward's hand. They looked so small and fragile but alive. They were beautiful. I could feel the tears fall from my eyes. Edward tilted my head up and kissed me.

"Bella, they're here," he said. "They're actually here." This was a miracle, especially after being told I couldn't have kids.

"I know."

"You did good, baby."

"Bella, they're beautiful," Esme said. I looked up to see her wipe her eyes. Carlisle pulled her into his side and cleared his throat.

"What did you name them?" he asked. I could hear the tears in his voice.

"She," I pointed to the first baby who was squirming around, "is Lily Charlotte Cullen."

"Lily was 4 lbs. and 8 oz. when she was born," Melinda said. "They weighed her a few minutes ago, and she's 4 lbs. 13 oz."

"He," I pointed to the second baby who was rather calm, "is Charles Carlisle Cullen." Carlisle looked at me and let a tear fall. He looked up at Edward who nodded.

"Charles was 3 lbs. and 12 oz. when he was born. He now weighs 4 lbs. 3 oz."

"Thank you," Carlisle said. I nodded before turning back and looking at my babies.

"She," I pointed to the last baby who was crying, "is Elizabeth Esme Cullen." Esme gasped and covered her mouth. I looked at Edward, and he was smiling widely.

"Really?" Esme asked. I nodded. "Oh, thank you. This is wonderful." She bent down to hug me.

"Elizabeth was 4 lbs. and 2 oz. when she was born. She now weighs 4 lbs. 8 oz. They're doin' great," Melinda said. "They're keepin' Charles in the incubator for another day just to be on the safe side, since he was the smallest. I just found out that they're gonna move Lily and Elizabeth from NICU this afternoon. Are you going to breast feed?" I nodded. "Then you'll be able to feed 'em this afternoon. You should pump some for Charles. We'll be able to bottle feed him."

"Can we hold 'em?" I asked quietly.

"If you scrub down and wear a paper gown, you can hold em' for a few minutes." I looked up at her pleadingly.

"Anything."

She motioned for me to follow. Edward pushed me with her, and we spent the next few minutes, which felt like hours, prepping to go inside. Finally, she pushed me inside and locked the wheelchair into place by a rocking chair. She told Edward to sit down too. She picked Lily up from her incubator and stood in front of me.

"From all the little ones I saw in your room earlier I'm guessin' you know how to hold her?" she asked. I nodded. She leaned down and placed a small bundle in my arms. I sat back in the wheelchair and looked at my little girl.

"Hi Lily," I said quietly. "I'm so glad you're here." Edward leaned over to look with me. She was _so tiny._ She looked up at me with gorgeous green eyes and stopped squirmin'. "Edward, she has your eyes."

"She's so beautiful," I heard him whisper. He ran the back of his finger over her cheek. She reached up and latched onto his finger. Her hand was dwarfed by his one finger.

"Here's Elizabeth," Melinda said. She was standin' in front of Edward. He reached forward, and she placed another small bundle into his arms. He leaned back slowly. She looked up at him, and I heard him gasp.

"She's got your eyes, love," he said excitedly. He had been hoping one would have my eyes. "Hi Elizabeth. Hi baby girl." _Yep. Definitely a daughter thing._ When she heard his voice, she stopped cryin' and looked up at him.

"They recognize y'alls voices," Melinda said.

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you. You're so gorgeous."

"They're gonna be heartbreakers when they get older," Melinda said and smiled. We laughed. When I didn't hear Edward laughin' I looked over to see he'd gone a bit pale.

"You okay, baby?" I asked. He looked over at me then Melinda before looking back at Elizabeth and Lily. "Just so there's no confusion, you two cannot date until you're thirty, and you can't even be friends with boys until you're twenty. Am I understood?" Every nurse in the NICU laughed along with me.

"Honey, you know that's not true. I married you when I was twenty-two. I think it was a perfect age. They may find a perfect guy just like I did."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. If they bring around any guy like I was, I'll shot 'em." I laughed.

"Edward, you sound just like my father."

"Then I'm obviously a smart man." I looked up when I heard a tap on the window. Rosalie and Emmett were standing there with Lina and Savannah. The girls were waving and smiling at the little babies. "We haven't told anyone their names yet, Melinda. Can you tell Rose and Emmett? They'll want to know."

"Sure," she said before walking into the hallway. I watched as she told them the names. Emmett looked up at me and mouthed Charlie as he pointed to the incubator. I nodded and he smiled tenderly. I could hear Edward murmuring to Elizabeth about what kind of boys to stay away from. They were going to age him quickly. I looked back down at Lily. She'd already fallen asleep. I heard another tap on the glass and looked up to see Alice, Jasper, Austin, Delilah, and Derek.

"They're beautiful," I saw Alice mouth. I smiled and nodded. Melinda was outside and told them their names. Alice's head whipped around to look at Edward. I told him to look at her. "Mom and Dad?" she mouthed. He nodded; she started to cry. Jasper tried to comfort her, but he had the twins in his arms.

"Okay," Melinda said as she walked back in. "It's time to put 'em back in their bed, and you need to get back to your room."

"Oh, please," I said. "Let us stay a little longer."

"You've already been in here longer than ya should have been. I'm sorry." She held her hands out for Lily.

"I love you, Lily." I leaned down and kissed her little forehead. "You be good and stay strong and you'll be able to come down to me and daddy later." I handed her over even though I didn't want to. Melinda put back in the bed, then took Elizabeth from Edward.

"I love you, baby girl," he said and kissed her hand. "I'll see you soon."

Edward stood up and threw his paper gown in the trash. I handed him mine, and he did the same. He unlocked my wheelchair and pushed me back to the room. Almost everyone was there and sayin' how beautiful the babies were. Esme and Carlisle came into the room not five minutes later with a bag in each hand. They brought lunch. By the time I was done eatin', I was tired again. Edward ushered everyone outta the room so I could sleep. It didn't take long after he laid down with me until I fell asleep.

I woke up to Edward shakin' me slightly. I looked up at him confused. He smiled at my sleepy face and told me they were bringin' down the girls. I woke up fully and asked him to help me sit up. He finally maneuvered me against the raised bed as Melinda came in wheelin' the baby bed. Elizabeth was first. Edward lifted her from the bed and put her in my arms. Melinda left and came back in with Lily. Edward lifted her from the bed and held her to him as he walked around the room. Melinda left saying she needed to get somethin' before I fed 'em. A minute later, she came back with another bed.

"Charles wanted to see y'all," she said. I looked at her curiously. "He's doin' better than we expected. Dr. Williams said that all y'all can go home in two days." She picked him up and laid him in my other arm. I looked down at the one that was sure to be a carbon copy of Edward. He had the green eyes and a small tuft of bronze hair peeking out from under the little cap. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. They were all here. They were all okay.

"You okay, love?" Edward asked as he sat down next to me.

"Perfect," I answered. "Everything's perfect."

"How 'bout a picture?" Melinda said as she pulled a camera out of her scrub top. I smiled as she took our first family photo.

* * *

**AN: The end. I'm actaully really sad to have this done. I had a dream about it and could have done so much with it, but I need to finish Gradual Healing. **

**I waited to see if anyone recognized two of the horses names. Pokey was the horse from the show Gumby. I loved that show when I was younger. Artax is the name of Atreyu's horse from the movie Never Ending Story. I loved it as a child, and it just came on last week. I squealed like a little girl. haha You're welcome to laugh at me. I did.**

**Did you like it? I know it seemed heavy on Edward and Bella, but in the last chapter Alice said they were going to have it rough. I wanted to illustrate that point. I really hope you liked it. **

**Leave me a review and let me know your favorite part please, whether it's from the epilogue or an earlier chapter.**


	5. Outtake: Rattlesnake

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**Rattlesnake Outtake**_

"Bell?" I bit my lip and clamped my hand over Edward's mouth as I stilled when I heard Jack yell from below. I held my finger to my mouth silently tellin' him to _shut up_. The boy couldn't be quiet. He got a wicked gleam in his eye makin' me scrunch my eyes in confusion. In answer, he grabbed my hips, lifted me a few inches and thrust up into me. My eyes rolled back in my head without permission. Realizing what he was doin', I snapped my eyes to him and glared. "Bell? Ya in here?" I heard Jack walk further into the stable.

"Be quiet," I mouthed. I smiled when his glistenin' lips turned down in a frown. His pout was so damn irresistible. I leaned forward and nibbled on his full bottom lip swollen from our earlier activities. I rocked over him, lovin' the feel of his long, hard cock slidin' in me. As long as I lived, I'd never get enough of him. It'd taken a long time to come to terms with that, but it was true. He groaned at the movement. "Shhh," I said against his lips. He held his breath. I was never more happy than when Jack shuffled outta the stable.

"You're such a tease," Edward said as he flipped us over. The hay scratched against my back. The slight roughness was such a contrast to his smooth hands on my breasts. "And you know what we do to teases, don't you?" I shook my head as I wrapped my legs around his waist. "We punish them."

~/~

After Edward and I finished, I ran out to find Jack. He was at the chicken coop. We'd been havin' troubles with snakes lately. I'd already lost six hens. Hopefully, we'd be able to find somethin' to keep 'em at bay. The chicken wire obviously wasn't workin' so Jack was fixin' some concoction he claimed would work twart any creature. I just hoped he was right.

"Did I hear ya yellin' for me?" I asked. He turned around and smirked at me.

"I didn't need to yell for ya to hear me," he said and shook his head. "Tell that boy he needs to learn to be quiet." I probably shoulda been embarrassed, but Jack had literally caught us in the act on three different occasions. I was past embarrassment.

"That's what I told him, but he just won't learn. Practice makes perfect, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders. He just laughed.

"If Emmett catches ya-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. So, what's up?"

"Ya mind takin' a ride and checkin' the line? Jimmy says he thinks there's a break. He found one of the cattle over yonder on Cassidy's side by the west hundred."

"Sure." I checked my watch. I'd have enough time to ride out and check before lunch. If there was a break, I'd mend it after. "I'll cook when I get back." He nodded and shooed me away.

I went to the house where Edward said he'd be. He had a project to work on since it was due in a few days. I walked in the front door, but he wasn't in the livin' room. I wandered back to my bedroom, but he wasn't there either. I finally made my way to the bakehouse. He was at the table with his laptop open, a few legal pads scattered around, his glasses perched on the end of his nose, and his phone pressed between his ear and shoulder.

"No, it's fine," he assured the person on the other end of the line. "Tell me, what's the problem?" I leaned against the doorframe to watch him. He was so intense when he was workin'. Then when he wore the glasses too. I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Let me pull it up." He typed something into the computer and nodded when it was loaded. "Yeah. I see it. What do ya wanna change it to?" I almost laughed at the definite Texas twang he was pickin' up. I walked up to peek over his shoulder. He looked up and smiled at me. "Listen, Reginald, can you give me just a minute?" He placed the phone against his chest. "Hey babe, everything alright?"

"Probably. Jack needs me to go check the line. Jimmy thinks there's a break. I need to check."

"If you give me a bit, I'll go with you." I smiled and kissed him. He really was amazing.

"I 'preciate it, but I need to go now. I gotta get back and fix lunch. I won't be long. I'm just gonna check. If it is broken, I'll mend it after lunch."

"Okay. Be safe." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just checkin' the line. What could go wrong?" He scowled at me.

"Don't say that. It _is_ you we're talking about." I hit his shoulder.

"Har har. I'll be back within the hour."

"I'll be waiting. Love you." I smiled every time he said that.

"Love ya, too." He kissed me soundly before swatting at my ass when I walked away. "Yeah, that was my girl." I looked back to see he had the phone to his ear. "Her and her brother own a ranch…" His conversation trailed off the further away I got.

I saddled July Heat to make the trip. He could get me there quickly. I grabbed my pack that Edward forced me to make, rolled my eyes at his over protectiveness, and pulled myself astride. I grabbed my 'Because of You-Panama Straw Hat' Edward bought me for Christmas on the way outta the stable. Once we cleared the practice ring, I broke July into a run.

I made it to the front part of the west hundred and moved north. The day was beautiful. The sun was shinin', it was a nice and toasty 91°, and the wind was blowing just enough to keep me cool. I had only been on the perimeter for about a half hour when I saw it. There was a break in the line, but it was only about three feet wide. I'd be able to mend it pretty quick. I hoped off July to take a closer look and figure out what I'd need to fix the break. July whined and shook his head.

"What is it, big guy?" I grabbed the reins and pulled his face to mine. I kissed his cheek. He pranced around and tried to pull back. "Hey, hey, hey. What's got ya spooked?" I petted him softly while shooshin' him. "I'm just gonna check the line. I'll only be a second." I backed away from him slowly hopin' to keep him calm. He shook his head again. "It'll be okay, Jay." I turned around and made my way to the line. July neighed again so I turned back to make sure he was okay. I should have heard it, but for some reason I didn't. The next thing I knew was a searing pain prick at my lower leg.

"SHIT!" I stumbled back and looked down. A nice size diamondback sat coiled, rattlin', and on edge. I moved away as far as I could. Damn, that hurt. I needed to get that checked. I grabbed onto July's reigns and hobbled another twenty feet away. It felt like knives were pricking me over and over and over. I grabbed the pack, Edward's pack, and rolled my eyes. "I'll never live this down."

I sat down next to July to tend to the bite. I grabbed my pocketknife and cut my jeans away at the knee. I cringed at the sight. My calf was already swellin'. The two small puncture wounds were leaking a clear liquid. I reached into the pack and pulled out a Sharpie to write on my leg. I didn't know how long it'd be before I was treated, and I didn't know if I'd be conscious at the time. 'D-back 1:34p' They'd need to know what kind. I cringed as the throbbin' intensified, and I started feelin' nauseous.

I cut the sleeve from my over shirt and wrapped it just above my knee. I tied it but not too tight. I was in a pretty sparse area so there wasn't anything around I could use for a splint.

When I finally pushed myself up and was standin', my stomach churned dangerously. I leaned forward and vomited. I stood back up and swayed. Everything was spinning. I reached for the saddle horn and steadied myself. I needed to get home. Fast. First, I needed to get in the saddle. It wasn't going to happen. My leg was already going numb. I shook the thought from my head. I had to do this. No one would look for me for a while.

I reached down and lengthened the stirrup. I stood up too fast, makin' me fall on my ass. I took longer than I was comfortable with to get back up. My body seemed to have forgotten how to get up. After a few failed attempts, I was back on my feet leanin' hard against July.

I wiped the sweat that was now fallin' into my eyes. I looked at July and realized this was gonna hurt. I grabbed the saddle horn and pulled to take as much weight off my legs as I could. I used my uninjured leg to hook the stirrup and push myself up. I laid across the saddle knowin' there'd be no way to swing around. This would do. I just had to keep the bite below my heart. Right? Or was..was it…Right.

I just had to mend the fence. It was only a small gap. The cattle would get out. Rose would make lunch. She liked to do that. I was brought outta my thoughts when July whined. "Home." He could get me there. Once I got there, I could get everything to make lunch. Lunch. It was time to call Edward. He was expecting my call.

The gentle rockin' motion was nauseatin'. Was I on a boat? I didn't remember goin' to the lake. Edward wanted to take me on a cruise. If it felt like this, I hoped we'd never go. I thought it was s'posed to be hot today. The wind was chilly. I shivered against the cold. I'd have to put on a heavier shirt before makin' lunch.

I'd have to take a nap first. I was so tired. I couldn't mend the fence while tired. I'd mess up. Emmett would be mad. I turned my head as I vomited again. Jack wasn't gonna be happy. I got the saddle. So tired. I could take a nap on the way to…to…wherever I was goin'. Just a little lunch.

~/~

While Bella went to find Jack, I went inside to work on a project I had due in a few days. I set up in the kitchen and checked my phone. There was a voicemail. Reginald, one of my frequent clients, had an issue with the website he wanted to talk about. I called him as the computer booted and connected to the internet.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, it's Edward."

"Edward! Thank you for calling me back so quickly. I was hoping we could discuss an issue with the website." I put my glasses on and placed a legal pad next to me to take notes.

"Forgive me. I didn't even think that you'd be preoccupied. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, it's fine. Tell me what the problem is."

"It's not urgently important, but my boss wants it addressed. The little bugger is a micro-manager if I've ever met one."

"Let me pull it up."

"It's in the lower right corner. Apparently the logo is in the wrong font." The website loaded and scrolled down. I looked at the logo I had on Reginald's business card.

"Yeah. I see it. What do a wanna change it to?" I almost groaned at the blatant twang that was in my voice. I heard light footsteps behind me. Bella leaned down to peek over my shoulder. I looked up and smiled at the beauty behind me. She really was gorgeous. "Listen, Reginald, can you give me just a minute?"

"Of course, of course." I placed the phone on my chest.

"Hey babe, everything alright?"

"Probably. Jack needs me to go check the line. Jimmy thinks there's a break. I need to check."

"If you give me a bit, I'll go with you." I could probably finish this up within ten minutes. She smiled and kissed me. Even though we'd just had sex, I could feel myself stir. I always wanted her.

"I 'preciate it, but I need to go now. I gotta get back and fix lunch. I won't be long. I'm just gonna check. If it is broken, I'll mend it after lunch."

"Okay. Be safe." She rolled my eyes.

"I'm just checkin' the line. What could go wrong?" I narrowed my eyes at her. Sometimes she was so damn careless.

"Don't say that. It _is_ you we're talking about." She hit my shoulder, and I chuckled.

"Har har. I'll be back within the hour."

"I'll be waiting. Love you." I'd never stop telling her that. Maybe one day, she'd love me enough to marry me.

"Love ya, too." Unable to resist, I kissed her soundly before swatting at her tight, little ass when she walked away.

"Why, Edward, that sounded like someone special," Reginald said as soon as I had the phone to my ear.

"Yeah, that was my girl."

"Do you mind if I ask what she meant by a 'break in the line'?"

"Her and her brother own a ranch. One of the ranch hands probably found one of the cattle on another property. She's gonna check it out, see if it needs to be fixed."

"Wow. Sounds like she's quite a girl." I felt my grin grow.

"You have no idea." I cleared my throat. "Enough about Bella. Let's get this problem fixed so the micro-manager gets off your arse." He laughed.

"Edward, please. Don't try the British accent, especially when you're picking up a Southern one." I groaned. "No need to worry. I think it suits you."

It didn't take long to fix a few nuances in the website. He thanked me profusely before we parted ways. I spent about an hour finessing parts of the Lightman project before deciding my eyes needed a break. I shut down and packed everything up then made my way to the stable. The horses would need to be brushed, watered, and fed. If Bella did find a break, that'd add a few hours to her chores. I could do this for her.

I took each horse out to brush. They'd appreciate the sun. By the time I'd brushed Mav, Alamo, Gambler, Midnight, Trigger, and Richmond, I was watching for Bella. Hopefully she wouldn't be much longer. After brushing Brownie and Artax, I started to worry. The boys would be expecting lunch soon. Artax started whining. I tried to shush him, but he wouldn't hear it.

"Ya alright?" I heard Jack say. I turned to see him walk out from the stable. He was talking to Artax. I looked out again towards the west. I thought I could see something in the distance, but it was just too far. I walked in and grabbed the binoculars Bella kept in the tack room. I went back out to take a look.

In the distance, July Heat was ambling home. I couldn't see Bella with him. I groaned. Was this going to be like that camping trip? I looked again and could see something was off. He was too tall. There was too…was that? I started walking, trying to get close enough to see. Finally, I could see it.

"Jack, get the Suzuki," I said urgently as I ran back.

"What's goin' on?" Even though he was questioning me, he was making his way to the vehicle.

"It's Bella. Something's wrong. She's laying over July. Hurry!" I grabbed Artax and led him back to his stall.

When I got back outside, Jack was in the Suzuki waiting. I hoped inside and slammed the door behind me. My heart was pounding, my breathing shallow. She had to be okay. Jack stopped a good distance back from July. I knew it would only scared him if we were to drive directly to him, but it still made me antsy. I got out, leaving the door open, and ran towards them.

"Bella!" She didn't stir. I slowed my pace when I saw July start get spooked. "It's okay, big guy." I whined when I got closer but let me by. I could see Bella's pant leg was cut. Why? What happened? "Bella." I placed a hand on her back and snaked my other arm around her waist. I pulled until she slid off the saddle. "Bella, what happened? What's wrong?" She was soaking in sweat. Her shirt was wet to the touch; sweat beaded on her forehead. Jack helped me lower her to the ground.

"Shit!" I rarely heard Jack curse.

"What?" I finally looked down and saw her leg. It was swollen, bruised, and blistered. I could see two puncture wounds.

"Snake bite; diamondback apparently. We gotta get her to the hospital. Fast."

"Bella, baby, can you hear me?" I brushed her bangs away from her face. Her eyes were open, but they were unseeing. It was eerie, unsettling. It seized me. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was dead. _Dear Lord, let her be okay._ I needed her to be okay.

"We gotta keep her leg below her heart. I'll drive." He stood and grabbed her legs. "Grab her under the arms, and remember, legs below heart." I stood and we took her to the Suzuki. I got in first then pulled her into my lap. There wasn't much room to maneuver. Jack got in and we hurried back to get a truck. "Get in Emmett's truck."

"Okay."

"Jimmy!" He came running over. When he spotted Bella, he paled. "Help Edward get Bella in the backseat of Emmett's truck. We're takin' her to the hospital. When we get gone, go out and get July. He's not too far out."

"Yeah. Whatever ya need."

"Legs below heart." We gently carried her to the garage. I got in first and pulled her into the cab of the truck.

"It's gonna be okay, baby. You're gonna be fine." I leaned down and kissed her head. Her hair was soaked. I placed a hand below her nose. I had to be sure. She _was_ breathing, but it was shallow. Jack yanked the door open, got in, and we were quickly on our way. I wrapped my fingers around her wrist, checked my watch, and counted. "118. Her pulse's 118."

"That's common with snake bites." I looked down at her leg. It looked awful. I couldn't look for long. It made my stomach churn. "She's gonna be okay, Edward." I continued to rub her arm, trying to comfort her.

"You don't know that." She groaned, shifted her weight, and let out a shuddering breath. "We'll have you to the hospital soon, love." A tremor ran through her body then she started shivering. I kissed her forehead. She was burning up.

"You gotta have faith. The doctors'll take care of her." He pulled out his cell phone and placed a call. "Hey Mac, it's Jack. Bella's been bit by a diamondback." He paused. "No. 1:34. She was checkin' the perimeter. She tied off, but there's no splint. She laid over the saddle to get back. I'll hurry so we'll be there in 'bout fifty minutes." He nodded. "The wounds pretty nasty. I think she's feverish too. She's sweatin' pretty bad."

"She's burning up," I said almost absently. "She's shivering though."

"She's got the shivers, Mac. Her pulse is 118." He nodded again. "Will do. See ya soon." He hung up. "They're gonna have a team ready, and they've got the anti venom in stock. We need to call Emmett."

"I'll do it." I slid my phone from my pocket, scrolled through my contacts, and pressed send. It only took him two rings to answer.

"Hey, Edward," he said cheerfully. "I was just about to call. Lina got a clean bill of health. We'll be headed back her pretty soon. Do y'all need anything?"

"Um, Emmett. We're, uh, we're actually headed to town." You could hear the worry in his voice when he started talking.

"What is it, Ed? What's going on?"

"Bella had to go check the line. Jimmy thought it broke. She, uh, she got bit while she was out."

"By what?" I could hear his panic rise. It wasn't helping my calm at all.

"A diamondback."

"Fuck. Is she okay? How long ago? How'd you find her? When will y'all be here?" I heard Rose in the background trying to get answers.

"She rode back to the house. She wrote 1:34 on her leg. Jack's driving. He said we'd be there in just under an hour. He already called the hospital."

"Is she okay? Edward, please tell me she's okay."

"I-I-I don't know." I didn't. I didn't know. How was I supposed to know?

"Tell me what's going on. Give me specifics."

"Uh, sh-she's burning up, sweating like crazy. She's shivering though, like she's cold. Her leg looks bad. It's swollen, bruised, and looks like it's blistering."

"Is she coherent?" I shook my head before realizing he couldn't see me.

"No. She hasn't been conscious since we pulled her off July." He cursed again.

"We're goin' to the hospital. We'll be there when you arrive." He didn't even say goodbye. I didn't blame him. We were all on edge. I shoved the phone back in my pocket and leaned down to Bella.

"We're going to get you to the hospital, and the doctors are gonna fix it," I whispered in her ear. "Everything's gonna be fine, baby. You're gonna be fine, Bella."

I spent the rest of the ride assuring her…assuring myself she'd be okay. She had to be. That was the only option. Her shivering worsened, and her pulse continued to rise slowly. By the time we pulled into Fort Stockton, her pulse was 132. I placed my hand under her nose but couldn't be sure if she was breathing, because my hands were shaking terribly.

"Jack," I said frantically. "I can't feel her breathing. Jack! She's not breathing!" He hurried to the hospital, jerking to a stop in the ER drop off area. He opened the door, and I slid out with her in my arms. I ran as fast as I could through the sliding doors.

"Help!" I yelled. "Someone, help! Get a doctor. Please." The nurse behind the counter's eyes grew wide, and she immediately buzzed the door unlocked.

"Bells?" I heard Emmett ask frantically. He ran over and opened the door. "Bells, can ya hear me?" He reached for her, but she was being pulled from my arms. "Mac, is she gonna be alright?"

"We'll do everything we can, Emmett," the doctor said as he and a nurse laid Bella on a gurney. As they wheeled her away, Emmett and I stepped forward to follow. A nurse stepped in front of us and placed a hand on each our chests.

"We'll take it from here," she said gently. "I know how frightening this must be for you both, but we're going to take care of her now. Have a seat in the waiting room. A doctor or I will come find you as soon as we know something. I promise."

"But she-"

"Emmett. We'll keep you informed. I promise. Please go back to the waiting room."

"Judy-"

"Do you want me to take care of your sister?"

"Of course."

"You're keeping me from her right now." That seemed to get through to him. He nodded and turned back toward the waiting room only pausing long enough to clamp a hand on my shoulder to lead me out. He stopped when he felt my shaking.

"Ed, man," he said cautiously. "Ya gotta calm down." He pulled me into the waiting room. "Breathe slow." My breath was coming rapidly. I made a conscious effort to slow it and brought myself under control. I looked around to see Rose was holding a crying Carolina, standing by the door, and Jack was sitting in the corner.

"What'd Mac say?" Rose asked as soon as we appeared. Emmett reached for Lina; Rose handed her over without a question. He laid her against his chest and shushed her while bouncing her lightly.

"It's okay, baby girl," he said softly. He turned into a big teddy bear around her. "Everything's gonna be fine. Aunt Belly's gonna be just fine. You're okay." She finally started to calm.

"What'd Mac say?" Rose asked again.

"They just took her. We don't know."

"They said they'd keep us informed. We don't know anything right now," I filled her in. I made my way to the back and fell into the chair by Jack. Rose sat beside me and placed an arm around my shoulder. That move, from Rose of all people, broke me. I turned my head into her shoulder and tried to hold back the tears.

"She's gonna be okay, Edward," she said softly. She reached up and smoothed her hand over my hair. "They're gonna take good care of her." The tears leaked out.

"When I saw her eyes…she looked dead," I said quietly, hoarsely. Rose stilled at my words. I felt her swallow thickly before she squeezed my shoulders. "I've never been so scared in my life."

"But she's alive. You know that. She's alive, breathing, and fighting. I'm so sorry you had to see that." I stood up and walked to the bathroom. I had to pull myself together. I splashed cold water on my face and pulled myself under control. When I went back outside, Jack had Lina and Emmett was clutching to Rose as she sat in his lap.

It was an hour before anyone came to see us. Rose had said she'd called Ali and Jazz. They were in Seattle visiting our parents but were trying to get an earlier flight back. Mom and Dad were coming with them. Jack had called the ranch to make sure everything was going smooth. Emmett had also called Walt and Nancy. They were on the way.

"Emmett," the nurse, Judy, called. He stood up and walked to her. We all followed.

"Judy, tell me she's alright," Emmett said desperately. I'm glad he did. I couldn't find my voice.

"We gave her seven vials of antivenin intravenously since it was a moderate envenomation. Mac's considering an antibiotic if this doesn't work, but it's looking good. We've got her pulse down and stable. Her fever's fallen a bit, and her muscle response is normal." Emmett let out a long breath, and Rose visibly relaxed.

"What about her leg?" I asked, scared to know the answer.

"Well, it's not gotten any worse. We'll have to wait and see before giving any definitive answers. It'll take a while to heal, but it should get better, nothing more than a scar. She's gonna have to stay off of it for the next month."

"C-can I see her?"

"Give us a few minutes to get her in a room. I'll take ya to her in a bit."

We took a seat, a bit of the weight having been lifted, and waited. True to her word, Judy was back quickly. She only allowed two at a time, so Rose and Emmett went back first. I let Jack go back himself, so that I could see her alone. Judy led me to the room and pushed the curtain back.

Bella lay in the bed, an oxygen mask over her face, an IV in her arm, and her leg over the covers. I pulled a chair over to sit by her head. I took her hand and cradled it in mine. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. She stirred and blinked her eyes slowly. She was disoriented; I could see it in her eyes, in the way her pupils stayed a bit dilated and her head lolled at every movement. I waited until she looked over and somewhat focused on me.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey, beautiful," I whispered back. Her eyes stayed dilated, and a little out of focus, but I could see life in them. "Welcome back. How ya feel?"

"Like shit." I chuckled, and she smiled. "Who knew a little snake could do so much damage?" I frowned. I didn't want to think about that just yet. She frowned at me then reached her hand up and rested it on my cheek after wavering in the air. I leaned into it, but she didn't have the strength to hold it there. Her hand fell back to the bed heavily. I took it and held the back of her hand so she was cupping my face. "Don't be sad. I'm okay." I let out a long breath.

"Barely," I croaked as the emotion overwhelmed me.

"Is it bad?" Needing the comfort, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. They were warm, soft, and pliant against mine. I pulled back reluctantly but kept my forehead pressed to hers.

"You're gonna be okay. About a month's recovery." She frowned.

"No. I got State in two weeks." I sat back and fixed a stern, no-nonsense glare on her.

"Not this year." She started to protest, but I cut her off. "There will be no negotiation on this, and I'm sure Emmett will back me up." She yawned. I reached forward and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sleep. You need your rest. I'll be here when you wake up." She fought to keep her eyes open.

"I can't lose you."

"I think you're stealing my line," I said trying to lighten the mood.

"Edward, you're everything to me. I couldn't survive without you. I'm sorry it took me so long to come to terms with that, to accept that. Please, don't leave me." I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Where did you get any idea that I was gonna leave?"

"I'm sorry I've been so stubborn. I love you. I need you." Her voice pleaded, and it broke my heart. Where was this coming from?

"Bella, I'm right here, baby. I'm not goin' anywhere." I heard movement and looked over to see Judy walk in.

"No need to worry," she said as she patted my shoulder. "She's disoriented, and the venom can jumble the mind. She has no idea what she's sayin." She nodded towards Bella. "See? She's already out." I looked back to see her chest rising evenly. "Obviously, we're gonna keep her overnight, longer if she doesn't improve fast enough. You stayin'?" I nodded. "I figured. I'll bring ya a blanket."

"Thank you, Judy…for everything." She nodded as she walked out of the room.

* * *

**AN: Hello. *waves enthusiastically* It's nice to see everyone again. I'm sure this is a bit of a surprise. Honestly, this little outtake saved my sanity. I've had the most major writer's block ever for over a month now. My new story just wasn't coming to me at all. So, I thought I'd revisit my Southern friends. I started this as a freewrite, not really thinking about it. All of a sudden, there were 4,000 words on the page. I don't even know how that happened. *shrugs***

**I hope you enjoyed this. It feels wierd calling it an outtake since they 'story' was only four chapters long. I'd love to hear from y'all. Is there anything from this story ya wanna see? If could be something I mentioned in the epilogue or it could be something you imagined from these characters. Wanna see something played out? Let me know. I love being given prompts; it makes this so much more fun for me. The more detailed, the better.**

**Review and let me know. :)**


	6. Banner

This story now has a really awesome banner. Thanks so much to Mehek18 at .com. Check it out by clicking on the title that's listed on my author page. The title is hyperlinked to it.


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